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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24572413">Can Summer Last Forever?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/zapdosmaster145/pseuds/zapdosmaster145'>zapdosmaster145</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Phineas and Ferb</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:08:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>49,621</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24572413</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/zapdosmaster145/pseuds/zapdosmaster145</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the last day of summer and Phineas and Ferb plan to go out with a bang. But when a certain evil scientist causes all the schools in the Tri-State Area to disappear, it looks like summer might not come to an end after all. The epic fan-made finale to the show Phineas and Ferb. Originally posted on FF.net, ca. 6/2013.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Please, let me go! I swear I don't carry my wallet with me when I walk down spooky alleyways in the middle of the night! I have nothing of value, so please release me!" The man was bound from shoulders to ankles with an absurd amount of rope, but the abundance of coils and knots certainly did their job. He couldn't move a muscle.</p><p>"Oh, you know what? Now that I think about it, maybe I really should let you go. I <em>totally</em> expected to kidnap somebody who was loaded with money so that I could take it all and use it to take over the Tri-State Area. But if that's not the case, I guess I have no choice but to release you."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"No! Of course not! What kind of dummkopf do you think I am? Because I am definitely not the kind that would take somebody prisoner just to release them after taking like an hour to tie them up!"</p><p>The prisoner was still trying to get his bearings. He seemed to be in a large room full of strange electronic equipment. As he struggled against his bindings, he realized that in addition to the rope, he was also duck taped to a wooden chair that was apparently super-glued to the floor. Overkill, peculiar, even; but there was no chance of escape. It was dim, yet there was enough light for him to see the outline of his captor. The tall man had a slouch and spoke with a distinct German accent. He wore a lab coat that was bright white, making him stand out slightly in front of the dark background.</p><p>"Who are you?" he asked, trying to find answers.</p><p>"Oh, don't worry, Mr. President, my identity will become clear soon enough. In fact, the day will soon come when everyone will know the name Heinz Doofenshmirtz!"</p><p>Confused that this odd man had apparently tried to dodge his question and then ended up answering it anyways, the captive didn't know what to say, other than, "You know, I'm not the President, so I don't know why you're calling me that. And hey, Doofenshmirtz is it? Are you by any chance related to the mayor, Roger Doofenshmirtz?"</p><p>"Silence! You will not speak that name on these premises until he has been shamefully removed from his position. Which, by my calculations, will be in approximately twenty-four hours. And I will rise to take his place, as ruler of the Tri-State Area! That is why I need you out of the way. Then, my plan will go forward, positioning me into checkmate! Oh wait, not me, I mean by brother. I won't be the one in checkmate, he will—oh, nevermind, the moment's gone. Ah, forget it, you won't be around much longer anyway, so I don't mind at all telling you my brilliant plan."</p><p>By the time the evil scientist had finished elaborating, the prisoner could only think of one thing to say. "You're mad!"</p><p>"No, I am not mad, I'm evil! Why do people always call us 'mad' scientists? I'm not angry or anything! Well, I guess I do hate a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I'm mad at anybody. I don't blame you or the innocent people of the Tri-State Area for all the terrible things that happened to me; I just happen to be evil, so I'm going to take over your country. It's, it's just what I do. Nothing personal."</p><p>Apparently finished, the evil scientist reached into his lab coat and pulled it out. He aimed it at the prisoner's head, finger on the trigger. The prisoner had never been so scared in his life. He didn't even hear a <em>BANG!</em> before everything went dark.</p><hr/><p>Phineas Flynn and his step-brother, Ferb Fletcher, were stretched out in their usual place in the backyard. Here they could prepare for the day by enjoying the beautiful blue sky above contrast against the green grass below. Equally green were the leaves of the one large tree they were currently resting under. It had become their custom to come out to this comfortable spot every morning and decide what they should do for the day. But this day was different. They already knew what they were going to do, they were just waiting for their friends to arrive before getting started.</p><p>"Bittersweet. That's what today feels like," Phineas said aloud. In no hurry, he took a long pause before continuing. He knew his brother and best friend wouldn't interrupt him. "I still can't believe this is the end. This is it. Today is finally the day." He felt Ferb nod in agreement beside him. "I know we should have seen this coming, but it just seems so… sudden."</p><p>A minute of silence passed as the sun climbed slowly in the eastern sky. It wasn't hot, but it would be soon. As if aware of the significance today held, all nature seemed to be moving more slowly. The shadows cast by the rising sun imperceptibly shifted; the wind was still; the streets were empty; and the birds were unusually quiet this morning. Everything had combined in anticipation of just what it all meant: school starts tomorrow. Today would be the last day of summer vacation.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Okay, Candace, it's the last day of summer vacation. Your last chance to bust your brothers. Your last chance to prove to Mom that everything you said this summer was true."</p><p>Candace Flynn crouched behind her window, looking out over the back yard. Her bratty brothers' bratty friends had just shown up, but they weren't looking at any blueprints or anything. They were just standing around, talking. Why could that possibly be?</p><p>Surely they would do something bustable. She knew her brothers too well, they would obviously finish their spectacular summer with a bang. And if she could just stay one step ahead of them, she could bring it all crashing down. Down, down, down. Down to the ground. Ground them. Ground them for a year. Ground them until they graduate high school. Then she wouldn't have to worry about them ever ruining her life ever again. Ever.</p><p><em>I need a plan</em>, she thought to herself. <em>If I could use Mom's schedule to my advantage, I might just be able to get her to see what the boys are up to. One problem, though, I don't know Mom's schedule.</em> "Only one way to solve that," she told herself, and bounded out the door to find her mother.</p><p>"Mom! Mom!?"</p><p>"In the kitchen, sweetheart."</p><p>"There you are," Candace said, bursting in. "What is your schedule for today?"</p><p>"Well, actually, I'm headed to Sunbridge City for the annual 'Famous Housewives' convention. I was elected as a delegate this year, since I was Lindana," Linda said.</p><p>"Sunbridge City? But that's <em>three hours away!</em> Mom? Don't you know what today is?"</p><p>"Yes honey, I'm aware that it's the last day of summer. So I know you and the boys will have all kinds of fun while I'm away. I'll be home late, but I'll be able to help you guys get ready for school in the morning. You already have everything you need since we've already been shopping for school supplies, so I'm not worried."</p><p>"But Mom! If you're gone all day, what happens when Phineas and Ferb build something crazy? What am I supposed to do then?"</p><p>"Ah, yes, I should have seen that one coming. Sorry sweetie, but I won't be able to do anything about it. I'll have my phone, but I can't promise I'll have service on the highway. But when I'm at the convention, you can rant to my answering machine all you want."</p><p>"Grrr! Mom, this isn't fair! Everyday the boys do something bustworthy, and you always miss it! Now it's my final chance to show it all to you, and you're just leaving! It's not fair!"</p><p>"Don't worry, honey, Dad will be home and you can show him every imaginary thing you want. Now I gotta go, I've got a long drive ahead of me."</p><p>After watching her mother leave, Candace sulked back up to her room. Her plans were ruined.</p><hr/><p>"Alright, is everyone ready? We need to be rolling in two minutes!" Phineas called out, checking the time yet again.</p><p>8:58 am.</p><p>It was time to go.</p><p>Isabella was always ready. "Fireside Girls are in position. Everything is a go as soon as the signal is given."</p><p>"Excellent. Ferb?"</p><p>Ferb gave the thumbs-up signal and went back to finishing his checklists.</p><p>"Sweet. This is going to be the best day ever! Hey, where's Perry?"</p><p>"Strapped in to his seat, right where you buckled him five minutes ago." Isabella reminded him.</p><p>"Oh, right. Then I guess we're ready to go."</p><p>On cue, Ferb pushed a red button on a small remote he pulled out of his pocket. Immediately, the ground started to shake and a rumbling noise began to come from the tree. The tree began <em>moving</em>. The top of the tree had split down the middle and two large hatches opened up and outward towards the sky. Like a giant green jack-in-the-box, a platform rose out of the opening and ascended a short distance to halt a few feet above the apex of the tree. There was a huge black helicopter resting there; powerful, military grade, with twin propellers. Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella used a simple ramp that had materialized with the platform to climb aboard. Ferb headed for the cockpit while Phineas and Isabella buckled themselves up next to Perry, who was seat belted into a platypus themed car-seat. The engine roared to life, and they climbed into the blue sky.</p><p>Phineas glanced around the small cabin to make sure everything was in place. They had ripped out most of the seats to make room for their equipment, only the three children and the platypus were riding. Reassured, Phineas quickly rehearsed his plan one last time in his mind. Then, after again glancing at the time, he looked up to see Ferb give the all clear. Right on time, 9:00 am.</p><p>"How do I look?" Phineas asked Isabella.</p><p>"You look wonderful," she returned with a blush.</p><p>Phineas didn't seem to notice as he and Isabella undid their seatbelts headed for their positions. Isabella turned on the studio quality video camera while Phineas flipped the switch that unraveled a gigantic television screen that dangled from a winch connected to the helicopter, one large enough to be easily visible from below. He turned to look at the camera, and the huge screen instantly projected his image in two directions over the city. His face could now be seen from anywhere in the Tri-State Area.</p><p>"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the Tri-State Area!" Phineas' voice boomed out. People in the city looked out from their homes and business, and those in the streets searched for the source of the sound—loudspeakers, placed in strategic locations around the city by the Fireside Girls. "Could I please direct your attention up to the sky." At this, the more observant members of the crowds pointed to the video screen to make sure everyone around them could see what was going on.</p><p>"Please do not panic. I have wonderful news and wish to share it with everybody in the city. As you all know, today is the last day of summer vacation. Tomorrow, schools across the nation will be opening their doors to every kid from age five to eighteen. And inside those schools, our time will be devoted to such scholarly pursuits as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now, far be it from me to cast dispersions on the importance and usefulness of these skills, but every student and alumni is aware of the tedious monotony of the academic schedule. When, in the course of the school routine, it becomes necessary for students and teachers to dissolve the educational bands which have connected them with one another, so that they may unwind and spend time in leisure and recreation, then breaks are instituted among schools and the participants are granted a period of freedom, deriving their just vacations from the consent of the educators.</p><p>"There is a certain uniqueness attributed to summer vacation, the longest and grandest of breaks. I made a decision at the start of this summer that I would use every bit of freedom and creativity I possessed to make every day the best day ever. It has been the best time of my life. Now, we have a rare and valuable moment here as we look forward to the changes that are to come. I, for one, wish to make this last day the best of all. Before we are subjected to subjects and classrooms, my brother and I have prepared an event unparalleled in the history of the Tri-State Area. May I present, 'Phineas and Ferb's Make Summer Last Forever!' "</p><p>With his final sentence, Phineas made a show of flipping a large square switch on a table next to him. As soon as he did, the sky lost its blue color. Piece by piece, hundreds of feet above the helicopter, the camouflaged tiles of an enormous park turned from sky blue to their regular color. As more of the park became visible, it took a shape resembling a luxury yacht. But it was so much bigger. Filling up a significant portion of the sky, its base's dimensions were nearly one-third of the size of the city. It was floating, suspended high above ground without any foundation other than air.</p><p>Although much of the park couldn't be seen by viewers at the ground level through the hull, there were roller coasters and swimming pools and climbing walls and a Ferris wheel visible from the sides. For good measure, a computer model of the park was briefly displayed on the video screen, giving them an idea of what Phineas and Ferb's park contained.</p><p>Phineas let the crowds take it all in for a moment before speaking again.</p><p>"And because fun isn't just what you do, but the people you do it with, I hereby invite everybody within the sound of my voice to come and enjoy our special one-day-only park. Admission is free, and all-you-can-eat snow cones will be served at no cost throughout the day. Open immediately, you will find transportation at Danville's Main Street Park, where we have built an elevator that uses a concentrated laser to carry unlimited weight for its payload." Here, Phineas' face faded from the screen to show the indicated elevator's exact location and how it worked. It was large and flat enough to carry literally hundreds of people at once.</p><p>"Within an hour there will be additional operating elevators in every park in the Tri-State Area." The screen again reverted to Phineas' face, which exhibited an even bigger smile than usual. "Here's to making today the best day ever, and to celebrating the coming school year. Carpe diem, everybody!"</p><p>With that, the screen went dark before folding back to a manageable size beneath the helicopter, and the vehicle flew up to vanish behind the airborne park.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Candace's brain was experiencing sensory overflow. She was just meditating beside her clay sculpture of Jeremy's head when she heard Phineas' voice ring out over the city. She went outside to see what was going on but saw the giant TV screen with Phineas' announcement. At first, she wasn't really listening, she just wanted to cry because Mom was long gone and couldn't see the ultimate bust. Then, the world seemed to turn upside down as a huge UFO thing materialized in the sky above her. It was so BIG! She still couldn't wrap her mind around how much of the sky it took up. How did the boys even build something so big without anybody seeing it? Well, that question easy to answer after she thought about it. After all, they had already built a skyscraper that reached the moon. Not only did they build it, but they somehow made it go away in the time it took her to drag Mom to the backyard. Apparently, size wasn't a problem when they went to work.</p><p>What surprised her most was the reaction people had to it. She thought everyone would be shocked and disturbed to see something like that sinisterly hovering over the city. Instead, they started flocking to it in droves. It was maddening. And it was always like this. No matter what Phineas and Ferb did, everybody thought it was cool. Like the tooth-themed rollercoaster ride. Periodontitis and toothaloons? La-ame! But everybody went along with it like it was the coolest thing in the world. Now, it seemed like half the city was already aboard the floating apparatus.</p><p>Finally, Candace tried calling Mom. No contact. Most likely she was in a dead-spot on the highway, but it was just as possible that that massive thing in the sky was blocking Candace's call. She looked around for someone she could turn to. The streets were vacating quickly as more people headed to the elevator at the park. She located a group of teenagers a block down the street, walking to the park. Candace blasted off to catch them, hoping to find Stacy or Jenny, or anybody she could find who could help her devise a plan for a mega-bust.</p><p>Soon, she was close enough to tell none of her friends were in the group. No, these teens looked rough around the edges, most were dressed in all black and some sported tattoos and piercings to add color to their greasy long hair—not exactly Candace's crowd. She stopped to catch her breath and tried her phone again. Still no answer from Mom. She almost gave up, when her phone rang in her hand. Stacy was calling her.</p><p>"Stacy! Where are you? What is going on?"</p><p>"Candace! Wanna come with me to your brothers' new park? I'm almost at their futuristicky elevators right now! You gotta hurry!"</p><p>"Stacy, I can't go to my brothers' new park, I have to find a way to bust them! I knew they were going to pull some crazy stunt like this on the last day of summer! Today is my last chance to bust them!"</p><p>"But Candace," Stacy pouted, "how can you pass up something this totally cool? School starts tomorrow! When are we going to be able to do fun stuff like this again?"</p><p>"I don't like it any better than you, but a bust is a bust, and I have to do this."</p><p>"You know, I hate always resorting to this to entice you, but Jeremy's gonna be there."</p><p>"What? I thought he was working today?"</p><p>"Apparently not. I already saw him take Suzy up the elevators like five minutes ago."</p><p>"It doesn't matter. I must stay and bust. Good-bye, Stacy."</p><p>Candace grimaced at the thought of letting her best friend down, but this was something she had to do. And it seemed she would have to do it alone.</p><hr/><p>Doofenshmirtz was looking over his balcony at the crowds of people thronged together at the park. The strange video with the pointy-faced boy was unexpected, but as he watched the population heading from downtown Danville to the floating park in the sky, he realized that this suited his plan perfectly. "This is great! It will be so much easier to take over the Tri-State Area now that there are less people there to resist me! If everybody keeps leaving, there will be nobody left to stop me! Except, of course, Perry the Platypus. Or something highly improbable, like a stampeding herd of moose. Mooses? Meese? Norm, what is the proper plural use of the word Moose?"</p><p>"Does someone need their spelling checked?" replied his giant killer robot man.</p><p>"Nevermind, just remind me to consult something more reliable next time, like a dictionary."</p><p>"Why don't you try some yoga?" the robot responded randomly.</p><p>Doofenshmirtz just grunted and turned back to look up at the mechanical island in the sky. For some reason, it reminded him of the Titanic. Probably because that was the perfect description for it. He could see it better than anyone from his tall building, and it was absolutely massive. The sun had risen high enough in the sky that it cast a giant shadow over west side of the city. By midday, the whole Tri-State Area would be in shade. It reminded him of a solar eclipse he had seen as a boy in Gimmelstump. Most of the superstitious Drusselsteinians thought it had been a bad omen, but he learned later on that it was a natural scientific phenomenon. Now, he considered this a sign that his most devious plan to date would actually succeed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phineas had to admit, this was pretty cool.</p><p>It was like having Disneyland in your backyard, but without any Disney characters. And with bigger rides. And no tickets. And shorter lines.</p><p>The idea started as a final cataloguing of all the creations and inventions they had built over the summer, all crammed together. They weren't able to include everything here, but it was enough to bring back all the memories of everything they had done. They had a dozen rollercoasters, a giant Ferris wheel, their dad's snow cone maker, an aquarium, a waterpark with all kinds of slides, a pet-sitting station, a building for platypus themed robots, a giant bounce house, and a special movie theater showing a film Irving produced which documented every project from the whole summer. There were bumper cars, a haunted house, wind rooms to allow one to fly, climbing walls, a restaurant serving only candy Willy Wonka would be proud of, virtual reality rooms, karate classes, and a stadium that would be hosting Love Handel later in the day. There were dance halls, bowling alleys, miniature golf courses, and even a multi-tiered laser tag room allowing for various experience levels. Everything fun under the sun was here. Even Perry.</p><p>"Perry, I'm so happy you are here to see this! We build cool projects like this everyday; finally we got to show you one of them."</p><p>Perry didn't really move or look at Phineas, but simply emitted his chattering platypus noise. "Grdrdrdrdrdrd."</p><p>"I knew you'd like it!" Phineas said.</p><p>Isabella, who happened to be standing right behind him, spoke up. "Phineas, we're supposed to meet the others at the automatic wave generating pool! Aren't you ready to go?"</p><p>Phineas turned around to face her, and said, "Yeah, sure. It looks like all the attractions are working properly, and the solar panels are powering the hover-tech flawlessly, so it's definitely time to find the fun. Hey, I just realized, Perry <em>is</em> a semi-aquatic mammal, I bet he'd love to play in the water!" Just as he said that, Phineas turned back to Perry and discovered the platypus had disappeared. "Hey, where's Perry? I really thought we'd be able to spend today with him."</p><p>Meanwhile, Perry hid behind a wall around the corner, making sure nobody had seen where he went. He pulled a small electronic device out of a hidden pocket behind his back and typed a sequence into the buttons. A green LED light at the top blinked, and from nowhere, a brown fedora with a rotating propeller sticking out of the cap flew up and lighted on his head. Instantaneously, two red handles unlatched from the side of the hat to a convenient gripping distance for Perry's frame. He became Secret Agent Perry the Platypus, P to the P, P squared, or as most prefer to call him, Agent P. He shoved off and the propeller held his weight, allowing him to fly away. It was a short trip; he landed in his secret underground lair within seconds. As soon as he was safely on solid ground, the fedora reverted back to its regular form. Agent P sat in his red chair and turned on his communications device, and Major Monogram's face appeared on the big screen in front of him.</p><p>"Good morning, Agent P. Seems your family has been busy, practically the whole town has gone up to that theme park your owners built. Even Carl went, so it's just me today. Unfortunately, it seems Dr. Doofenshmirtz is still up to his usual shenanigans. I don't know what, because usually it's Carl who monitors Doofenshmirtz's activities; you see, I'm not so great with computers. But our sensors seem to indicate the evil doctor is still in his usual apartment building, and we both know that evil never takes a holiday. So your mission, should you choose to accept it—and of course, by choose, I mean it's mandatory—is to find out what he's up to, and put a stop to it. Monogram out."</p><p>Agent P quickly saluted back before a loaded spring under his chair bounced up, sending him flying out of sight. He reactivated his hat-propellers and steered towards the tallest purple building in town.</p><hr/><p>It had been nearly an hour before Candace finally got a hold of her mother. But at last, the call had gone through, and she actually answered!</p><p>"Seventeen missed calls; this must be Candace. So, what unbelievable thing are the boys up to today?"</p><p>"Mom, this is going to sound completely crazy, but the boys built a giant space-ship-thing, but it's not really a space ship, it just floats in the air, kind of like a zeppelin, except it's made of metal! I mean, not that zeppelins aren't made of metal, but this thing is like a floating metal ship in the air! It's—it's an air ship! And it has this absolutely huge park on the top with helicopters and solar panels and all kinds of stuff. But I can't see everything that's on it, because I'm at our house and it's floating above the city. And Phineas and Ferb built it!" Candace stopped there to catch her breath.</p><p>"So this is what you had to double our phone bill to tell me. Candace, that's a lovely story, but I just got to Sunbridge City, and there's nothing I can do about it. Why don't you go get your father?"</p><p>"He's gone! They're all gone! Everybody went to the air-ships to have fun! It's just me, responsible Candace, holding the fort all alone! I'm literally standing in the front yard, and there is nobody around. All the houses are empty and the streets are barren!"</p><p>"Sorry Candace, but traffic around here is getting thick, and I want to use my phone to get directions. I'll call you back later, okay honey?"</p><p>"Grrr!" Candace violently flipped her phone closed. "Now what am I supposed to do?" She sat down on the grass dejectedly. "I have failed, for the last time. It's all over. Phineas and Ferb got away with everything they did this whole summer. I didn't even bust them once! Oh, the shame! The humiliation! It's like I'm the biggest loser on the PLANET!"</p><p>She screamed the last word, and it echoed right back. That did it, she broke down crying. "And there isn't even anybody around to feel any sympathy for me! No pity for Candice Flynn! It's like the whole world has been turned to zombies or abducted by aliens, and I'm the last person alive! Wah-hah-hah!" She cried for maybe thirty seconds, but she finally regained control and just sat there looking at the ground, feeling sorry for herself. Then she had an epiphany. For the first time that day, Candace smiled.</p><p>"I really am alone, aren't I? I could do anything I want! Why am I sitting here crying on the last day of summer? There's nobody to stop me from doing whatever I please! Ooh! I've got an idea." With that, she ran off with a renewed vigor in her gait.</p><p>Mysteriously, a musical tune emerged from no discernible source. Candace caught the beat and began singing to herself.</p><p>
  <em>Seems I'm the last person to dwell<br/>On earth, I must admit it's true.<br/>Which means no one's around to tell<br/>Me what I can and cannot do.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Not that I usually have<br/>A problem with authority,<br/>But tell me why I should behave<br/>And miss this opportunity!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This is real life, it is no fantasy.<br/>Every building within sight is empty.<br/>The world turned into possibility;<br/>Alone I can find my new destiny.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This is my chance to gratify<br/>Each silly urge I can concoct.<br/>Until my heart is satisfied,<br/>My every whim and pleasure sought.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Today's the day, my one big chance,<br/>I can do anything I choose;<br/>No fear of ruining this dance,<br/>So I have got nothing to lose!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This is real life, it is no fantasy.<br/>Every building within sight is empty.<br/>The world turned into possibility;<br/>Alone I will find my new destiny.<br/>I will be free!</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy;<br/>All play and no work makes Jack a spoiled jerk.—Author Unknown</em>
</p><hr/><p>The television set was tuned to the local news, but the room was empty. The reporter on the screen dutifully finished her account, knowing full well that nobody was listening to this top story.</p><p>"The streets are all empty. Businesses have closed all across the city, having realized that any potential customers would be aboard the massive ship anyway. It seems that the entire population has responded to the invitation of the young boy in the helicopter. And who can blame them? 'Phineas and Ferb's Make Summer Last Forever' is hosting more fun than the ancient Greeks when they invented the Olympics! What am I still doing down here? Bridgette Oshinomi is out! Peace!"</p><p>If anybody had been watching, they would have seen the screen change to an advertisement for back-to-school supplies.</p><p>Candace Flynn was not watching. She had left the TV in her home on when she skipped down the sidewalk singing to herself. Now, she was doubled over, trying to catch her breath.</p><p>"So—that's how far—I can run—in just one breath—of air!" Candace sputtered between deep gasps. "Now, let's find out how many sticks of gum I can chew at once!</p><p>"I never have any fun, they said! Well, now they're all gone, and no one can stop me from having fun! Summer doesn't last forever! I gotta make up for lost time!</p><p>"How many licks does it take to get to the Jolly-Good Center of a Jolly-Good Pop? 3,042!</p><p>"There's no police today! I can test drive my Nedlington Nymph!</p><p>"Nobody in the mall? No lines and I can try before I buy!</p><p>"I'll just take all the pennies from the Danville Founders Fountain in the center of town!</p><p>"Were these corndogs free samples? I'll just help myself!</p><p>"So this is where Jeremy shops for socks!</p><p>"C'mon, pigeon, when I throw bread at you, you eat it!</p><p>"I'm throwing a paper airplane from the top of this telephone pole!</p><p>"I'm dropping this bowling ball from the top of this fire truck ladder!</p><p>"I'm bungie-jumping this sofa from the top of this bridge!</p><p>"Look at me, I'm a lasagna ghost! Whoosh!</p><p>"Ahaha! Ahaha! Ahaha!"</p><p>...</p><hr/><p>Agent P stood outside Doofenshmirtz's door with a determined look on his face. It was probably locked, but that wasn't about to stop him. He reached behind his back and pulled out a cartoonish boxing glove loaded to a trigger-activated accordion spring. He aimed at the door and fired the contraption. The glove sprang forward and bashed violently through the door, creating a hole which Agent P immediately jumped through. He tried to rush forward, but somehow sank into the floor.</p><p>"Ah, Perry the Platypus, your arrival is inopportune; and by <em>inopportune,</em> I of course mean <em>utterly opportune!</em>" The all too familiar voice came from above. Rather than looking up to meet the eyes of his nemesis, Agent P looked down to figure out how he was sinking. He realized that somehow, Doofenshmirtz had ripped open the floor in front of his door and replaced it with a wide basin of sand. Quicksand.</p><p>"What do you think of my new addition?" Doofenshmirtz asked. "Of course, I haven't been able to use the front door since I had it installed; luckily there is an elevator in Norm's closet for when I send him to go run my errands. Which isn't really all that often, but I sometimes find it necessary when I have a brilliant idea and can't leave my work, not even for a slushy dog or something."</p><p>Agent P tried to move in the quicksand, but his struggling only made him sink more. "I wouldn't try that if I were you," Doofenshmirtz noted. "It's quicksand. The more you try to escape, the more it pulls you under! Genius, right?" Agent P relaxed before it got any worse; the sand was already up to his shoulders. He spread out his arms, legs, and tail to become more buoyant, and felt he had achieved a level of stability.</p><p>"There you go. As you are probably aware, tomorrow is 'back-to-school' day, and all the children in the Tri-State area will begin taking the daily pilgrimage to and from the nearest institute of learning appropriate to their age and mental development. <em>Or will they?</em> Behold, the School-Remove-Inator!" Doofenshmirtz pulled a small remote from his lab coat and pushed its one red button, and the ceiling began to roll back, exposing the sky. Agent P looked up to see the underside of Phineas and Ferb's project high above them dominate the view.</p><p>"I'm sorry, it's not that big thing up there, all though it would be cool if that was mine; imagine all the evil I could create with something that big! No, this is the School-Remove-Inator, down here." Agent P looked where Doofenshmirtz was pointing, and all he saw was a wooden crate. Puzzled, he gave the evil scientist an inquisitive look.</p><p>"Okay, I know what you're thinking; it's it's not that impressive. I wasn't really thinking about the aesthetic effect at the time I was inventing it, so it just looks like something you'd find in a storage shed. But trust me, this thing is really evil! Despite its ordinary looks, it has the power to remove any building from existence that I desire. I don't know exactly where they go, maybe another dimension. Anyway, with it, I will remove from existence every public and private school in the entire Tri-State Area! And when the city finds out that there is no place to send their children on the first day of school, there will be mass hysteria! Parents will be furious! Teachers will be out of jobs! Politicians will be blamed, and my brother Roger will be Remove-Inatored from office, leaving a vacuum of power to be filled by one very evil scientist, ME! Let it be known that the first day of school will soon become the first day of MY REIGN OF TERROR! Evil terror."</p><p>Agent P glared at the evil Doctor as he again pulled out the red button and pushed it. At the touch of his hand, the crate opened up at the top to extend an antenna about six feet upward. Agent P felt the machine begin to pulse with energy, concentrating it into the tip of the antenna. Then the wave of energy erupted and swept across the city like a ripple of water. Agent P couldn't sense anything after that, but he had a bad feeling about what just happened.</p><p>"My evil scientist sense is tingling, Perry the Platypus. I think my evil scheme just worked! Oh yeah, it totally worked! That's right, baby, in your face, Perry the Platypus! In your face! And guess what? The self-destruct button is located inside the crate, so there's no way you can access it! Woo-hoo! I have finally defeated my nemesis! What a glorious day!" Doofenshmirtz raised his arms in triumph.</p><p>"You know what? I'm gonna go get some victory gum and check out the schools to watch my plans come to fruition, so I'm just gonna leave you here to, you know, meet your doom." Agent P watched as Doofenshmirtz commanded Norm the robot to transform into a pickup truck, saying why waste fuel in the hovercraft when there's no traffic to avoid? As they left, Doofenshmirtz departed with a final song: "I defeated Perry the Platypus! I defeated Perry the Platypus!"</p><hr/><p>Agent P knew he didn't have much time left. The weight of the sand was making it difficult to breathe, and he was starting to feel himself slipping downward again. He tried his grappling hook, but it was jammed from the sand. Throwing it aside, he cast his eyes about, trying to stay calm and forcing himself to think. There was nothing within reach to grab hold of. He began sinking faster. He was running out of time. With only seconds left before he would be pulled under, Agent P saw the fire alarm button. Hoping Doofenshmirtz hadn't scavenged its electric wires for one of his -Inators, he whipped off his fedora and flung it Frisbee style at the alarm, and with this last movement sank completely under. The hat connected, and the alarm went off. The roof was still open, but fire codes nevertheless required an auxiliary source for the sprinkler system to activate. Water came pouring down and within minutes the pit of shifty sand slowly turned into mud, then to slush. But nothing stirred underneath.</p><hr/><p>Candace was rounding the corner on a pogo stick, cackling to herself. "Boing, boing, oh my gosh, this is so much fun!" But she stopped dead when she saw what was there. Or, to be more accurate, what wasn't there. Laughter turned to sobriety. "The school—it's missing!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Candace could see the parking lot. She could see the playground. She could see the yellowing grass begging for sprinklers to be turned on. But in the center, there was no building. No cement foundation, no walls, nothing. Just perfectly leveled earth where the school should have been.</p><p>"What happened here? It's like a giant picked up the school and walked away with it whole," she pondered aloud. Abandoning the pogo stick, she walked to the lot for a closer inspection.</p><p>"Well, I haven't walked into an invisible wall, so it really is missing. But why would a school just disappear? And how? Of course! Phineas and Ferb did this! They must not want to go back to school, so they decided to vaporize it or something, so that they could keep building their projects every day! Oh, they are so busted this time! For something built in the backyard, I would have to call Mom, but this is government owned, so I'll have to call the police! It's the perfect bust! Busting to Mom has proven ineffectual, but busting to the cops is how the professionals do it! They are so going down this time!" Candace whipped out her cell phone and dialed three numbers.</p><hr/><p>Today was one of the slowest days this particular emergency dispatcher had ever had. Although Danville was a peaceful town under normal circumstances, today the surface world was completely quiet. Surprisingly, almost everybody in the city had migrated to the giant ship in the sky, and there were no crimes being committed anywhere. No lootings, no vandalisms, not even any strokes or heart attacks; nothing reported all day. The peace was even being kept on board the sky ship; everybody just seemed happy to enjoy the last day of summer together. Finally, the first call since morning came.</p><p>"Hello, this is 9-1-1 emergency dispatch, what is your emergency?" he asked calmly.</p><p>"Yes, I'd like to report some missing property."</p><p>Hardly an emergency, but it was the first call in hours, so the dispatcher asked, "What appears to be the problem?"</p><p>"I'm standing in front of John P. Tristate Elementary, and it is gone."</p><p>The dispatch thought he must have misheard. "What?"</p><p>"G-O-N-E, gone. There is literally no elementary school where the building should be."</p><p>"Are-are you sure?"</p><p>"Trust me, it's where I went to school as a kid, and my little brothers went there last year. I see the slide, the swing set, the bike racks, and everything else, but no school."</p><p>"Listen, if this is a prank call, you will be in serious trouble, Miss!"</p><p>"It's no prank! My name's Candace Flynn, and you've got to send somebody down right away to see this! I also think I know who's behind it—my two little brothers!"</p><p>This accusation caught the dispatch completely by surprise. "Now look here, if the school really is gone like you say it is, how could a couple of kids pull off something like that?"</p><p>"Oh, you'd be surprised what my brothers can do. Trust me, it was them. They probably wanted to destroy school or something so that summer would last longer."</p><p>The dispatch sat and thought for a moment. Whoever this girl on the line was had clearly lost her mind; on the other hand, if the school really was missing, there could be a serious catastrophe. His gut told him to check it out, and he had learned long ago to follow his instinct in this job. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything else going on today.</p><p>"Okay, stay right there, we're sending someone to investigate. Expect them to show up in about ten to fifteen minutes."</p><p><em>What a strange day it has been,</em> the dispatch thought as he ended the connection. He had no idea how much stranger it would get.</p><hr/><p>An ordinary platypus can hold its breath for about as long as a human. But Agent P was not an ordinary platypus. His secret agent training had increased his endurance, and he waited nearly six minutes before the slush was finally escapable. Then his semi-aquatic instincts took over, and he half-paddled, half-waded his way to the edge of the basin of mud. Out he climbed, dirty but free. He shook off most of the mud (recognizing that he would most likely be given a bath that night), grabbed his fedora, and took a running leap off the side of the Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated building. After slicing through the air for a second or two, Agent P pulled a cord that had just appeared on his shoulder to release a hang glider with his face occupying the logo on its back. It pressed down on the air ahead, lifting him to an easy coast, and he soared away.</p><hr/><p>Candace watched the police car turn the corner and pull up alongside her. The driver's door opened, and a brown haired woman with a thin frame stepped out. Candace had a feeling she had seen this woman before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on when or where.</p><p>"Well, I should have known it was <em>your</em> brothers that were behind this."</p><p>The moment she heard the voice, Candace recognized who was standing in front of her, and her jaw dropped. "I know you! You're Lulu 'Busting' Jones, from that TV show!"</p><p>"It's Officer Jones now."</p><p>"But when did you become a cop?" Candace inquired.</p><p>"Well, not long after your special fell through, <em>Bust 'Em!</em> was cancelled, and I had to find a new job. I wanted to stick with my skills, that is, to 'bust them,' so this was the natural conclusion." At the words "bust them," she held out her tattooed knuckles to illustrate the point.</p><p>"I'm impressed," Candace replied.</p><p>Officer Jones closed the door and walked around to stand beside Candace, and looked at the empty lot in front of her. "So, it really is gone. And you really think your brothers did it?"</p><p>"Well, I don't know of anyone else who could pull something like this off."</p><p>"What I mean is—do you have any proof?"</p><p>"Proof? You've seen what my little brothers are capable of. I mean, they built that thing, for crying out loud!" Candace gestured upward. "What more proof do you need?"</p><p>"Hm. And you told the dispatch your brothers go to this school?"</p><p>"Well, actually, they used to; but now that you mention it, they're going into middle school this year. Last year was their final year in elementary school."</p><p>"So, if they wanted to make it so they wouldn't have to go to school, wouldn't they have caused the middle school to vanish instead?"</p><p>"Uh, I guess so." Candace answered apprehensively.</p><p>"And you also brought up another point. If they built that ship," this time Officer Jones pointed heavenward, "how could they be behind this?" Now she gestured to the vastness ahead. "It seems unlikely that they would leave their big party behind just to make a school they didn't even attend disappear."</p><p>Candace felt stupid for not considering this<em>. But if Phineas and Ferb didn't do it, then who did?</em> Candace's brain started reeling as she tried to imagine who could possibly pull something like this off.</p><hr/><p>Somewhere in the background, some vocalists sang this jingle to a familiar tune: "Doofenshmirtz in the house-of-some-guy-he-kidnapped-last-night-mysteriously." The last note was a little awkward because of all the words jammed into it, but it was still recognizable to anyone who might have heard it.</p><p>"So, just to make sure you completely understand your part, I want you to repeat back to me what I'm asking you to do," Doofenshmirtz said.</p><p>The man he had mysteriously kidnapped the previous night gave him a dazed look. With unfocused eyes, he rehearsed everything the evil scientist had told him.</p><p>"Excellent, my 'Do-Whatever-I-Say-Inator' is working flawlessly. Your mind is completely under my control." Doofenshmirtz retrieved the so-called -Inator from his lab coat pocket to inspect it, lovingly caressing the trigger.</p><p>"Yes, your Evilness, I seem to have no free will whatsoever."</p><p>"Now, before I go, I want you to wear this, to distinguish you as my evil minion." Doofenshmirtz handed the man a white lab coat that bore the initials D.E.I. on the chest. The man donned it obediently. "There, you are the spitting image of one of my underlings. And if you'll excuse me, I have a platypus to attend to." The whole way back to his building, Doofenshmirtz couldn't help grinning to himself. <em>His evil plan is really working! Wait a second, did I just think to myself in third person format? Ugh, gross! What is wrong with me?</em></p><p>When Doofenshmirtz entered his living room, he was shocked by what he saw. The whole apartment was flooded. The carpets were soaked, his laundry was ruined, and his origami album had dissolved to shreds. Enraged, he threw back his head and screamed, "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!"</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Baljeet, Buford, Irving, and the Fireside girls were getting lunch and taking a break from everything they had done that morning.</p><p>"My favorite part was still the zero-gravity dodgeball arena!" Buford said aloud.</p><p>"Only because you weren't the one getting teamed-up on by all the girls," Baljeet replied, eying the new 'Dodgeball Mastery' achievement patches pinned on each of the Fireside girls' sashes.</p><p>"Hey, if you can't hold your own against a bunch of girls, you don't deserve to play zero-gravity dodgeball!" For his comment, Buford received glares from Isabella and the Fireside girls, and he dropped it.</p><p>"I really liked the virtual reality paintball game! Man, Ferb, I had no idea you were so good at paintballing!" Phineas exclaimed.</p><p>"My favorite part was getting those pictures from the Space Adventure ride," Irving confessed. "Those are going on the cover of my scrapbook for sure!"</p><p>The group found an empty table and sat down. Irving sat next to Holly and said, "Hey, do you wanna see my scrapbook?"</p><p>"Eww, no!" she quickly replied, and scooted a couple inches away.</p><p>"Here, you guys, let me show you how this works," Phineas interrupted. "The table actually has electronic touch screen menus built into the surface. You select what you want to order by touching its picture, and <em>walla!</em> Your order is complete!"</p><p>"We already know, Phineas." Isabella reminded him. "We helped you build it, remember?"</p><p>"I know, I was just explaining it for the benefit of—others." Phineas explained.</p><p>"What others?" Isabella asked.</p><p>"Nevermind, let's just order our food, shall we?" Phineas said, scratching an itch on his left ear.</p><p>"Buford is hungry." Buford announced.</p><p>The kids continued to chat as they waited for their food. After a couple of minutes, the electronic screens on the table blinked to inform them that their order was ready. Then, the screens retracted into the table, and trays piled with food arose to replace the space left behind.</p><p>"<em>Bon appetit!"</em> Phineas said, and without any further ado, the kids ate.</p><hr/><p>The trail had gone cold.</p><p>It was difficult to track a robot truck when it only ran on squirrel power, but Agent P thought that he could find Doofenshmirtz in the empty city. He had abandoned his hang glider in lieu of his motor-speeder to more quickly check the schools in the Tri-State Area, and Doofenshmirtz had been nowhere to be found. <em>Neither were the schools,</em> he thought to himself, and a shiver ran down his back. Fortunately, it appeared that the public had not discovered this yet, since they had practically evacuated the city to go to the boys' "Make Summer Last Forever!" sky-park; so there was still time to find Doofenshmirtz and make him fix this mess before anybody noticed.</p><p>But how much time did he have? That was the question. How long would it take before somebody noticed every school in the Tri-State Area was missing, putting Agent P's mission in jeopardy? He pushed the thought from his mind to focus on the task at hand. He needed to find Doofenshmirtz, but he hadn't found any clues to where the Evil Doctor was. So after having cursed himself for not checking before he leapt from the building, he finally came back to Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated to look.</p><p>He parked his speeder and was about to walk through the front doors on the ground level of the building when a thought struck him. Doofenshmirtz said he'd been using Norm's side entrance to go around the trap he set for Agent P. On a hunch, the secret agent walked to the side of the building to check out the other door. He turned down the alley and surveyed his surroundings as he made his way to the hidden door. It was surprisingly dark; the boys' park was beginning to block out the sun over the city. It was then that he noticed an overturned garbage bin and its spilled contents. Potential signs of a struggle. He walked over to investigate, but all he saw was trash. A carton of used eggs, a banana peel, soggy cardboard boxes. Nothing interesting, but it was worth a shot. He stooped over to stand the bin back up and place the strewn garbage back inside, then jumped as a stray cat screeched and bolted out from under him, scurrying away down the alley. He watched it run off, then turned back around and replaced the garbage bin. <em>Bingo.</em> Underneath the bin had lain a cell phone. Agent P snatched it up and saw that the touch screen was cracked. Probably from getting smashed by a garbage bin. Agent P held his breath and hit the power button.</p><p>It turned on. Quickly, he instructed it to play its built in answering machine and held it to his ear. A man's crisp, no-nonsense-type voice spoke.</p><p>"Hello, this is Donald Fergusson. I'm sorry to have missed your call, but if you would please leave your name, number, and reason for calling, I will get back to you in order of importance. Thank you, and have a nice day."</p><p>Helpful, but Agent P needed more information. He turned back to the purple skyscraper and activated the elevator that would take him to Doofenshmirtz's level. The door opened, and the first thing Agent P noticed was a big coil of rope sitting in the middle of the platform. The secret agent cautiously approached the rope, making sure it wasn't one of Doofenshmirtz's traps. It looked safe, so he walked into the chamber. There must have been several hundred feet of line, all neatly coiled upon itself. Agent P tried to put it all together—a lost cell phone, a big rope, Doofenshmirtz's hidden doorway. It could only mean one thing: kidnapping. Truly frightened for the first time that day, the platypus punched the button to ascend. Doofenshmirtz had gone too far this time.</p><hr/><p>"You've gone too far this time; the middle school is back there!"</p><p>Officer Jones was driving, the passenger, Candace Flynn, giving the directions. The patrol car was in a hurry, but there was no need to use the siren. The streets were vacant anyways.</p><p>Due to this fact, Officer Jones spun the car around right there and made the turn down the correct street.</p><p>"We should be coming up on it right—" Candace's last word was cut off by screeching brakes.</p><p>"Un-be-lievable,' the two women said together. Just as Officer Jones had predicted, this school was missing as well. That brought the total up to four. It seemed reasonable to conclude that it was the same for every school in the city.</p><p>"If every school in town is gone, there will be serious repercussions." Officer Jones said. "We need to get to the bottom of this immediately."</p><p>She reached for the radio on the dashboard and brought it to her mouth. "This is Officer Jones, do you copy?"</p><p>"This is base, what's the word?"</p><p>"We've got a grave situation. Every school in Danville has vanished. Repeat. Every school in Danville has vanished. We don't know how, but trust me, they're gone. We need to assemble a team to find out who did this, and also to figure out what the city is going to do with thousands of children who don't have a class to attend tomorrow morning."</p><p>There was a short pause on the other end before the radio finally crackled back. "Roger. Hold on while we process your request. Over and out."</p><p>"Process your request? What is that supposed to mean?" Candace asked. Lulu "Busting" Jones knew it meant that either the office was understaffed for something like this, considering part of the force was acting as security on the sky-park; or base hadn't thought her claim a justifiable one, and they were laughing at her now like her sponsors used to laugh at <em>Bust 'Em!</em> The very thought angered her.</p><p>"I'm going to take you home, Miss Flynn. You have been helpful, but this is <em>my</em> job. You need to get ready for school tomorrow."</p><p>"Excuse me? This involves me just as much as it involves you! I'm starting my Junior year of high school! Do you think I want to stand around and watch my high school years fade into nothingness? I should be having the time of my life! I can't let it all go to waste, like I did this summer!"</p><p>Officer Jones looked Candace in the eyes, understanding what the girl hadn't said. "You never busted your brothers, did you?"</p><p>"No. No I didn't." Candace said somberly.</p><p>"Well, neither did I. But I never gave up, and look where I am today! I have a great job where I get to do what I do best. One day, you will get to be where I am too, if you never stop following your dreams. You might not end up where you expected, but you will be where you are needed. That's the way life works. Right now, it's my job to find out what this is all about. And right now it's your job to prepare as best you can for what life throws at you. We are professionals; we'll make sure school starts tomorrow just like it's supposed to. And don't worry! Everything always works out in the end! Sometimes, things are better off because something wrong happened, and a better ending than anything you could have imagined follows. Good always trumps evil, and <em>bust</em> always beats <em>them</em>." She held out her knuckles, and the fist with <em>BUST</em> swallowed the fist with <em>THEM.</em></p><p>Candace couldn't help but be moved by what she was hearing. She knew the officer was right, but she still wanted to fight it. "Don't take me home, take me to the park. I'm going to go find my brothers, because even though they drive me crazy, they always know what to do."</p><p>Officer Jones gave Candace a smile before putting the car in gear and pulling out into the street.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I need to see Mayor Doofenshmirtz at once." The man was one of the few people allowed to enter this office unannounced.</p><p>"I'm sorry, but he isn't here," Melanie, Mayor Doofenshmirtz's secretary, was trying to explain. "He is taking the rest of the day off. He took a body guard with him and went to go play five-dimensional racquetball on the sky-ship. He is probably the only government leader in this city with the liberty to just get up and go like that."</p><p>"How come I wasn't notified? I'm the chief of police!" The man was barely able to control the volume of his voice. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Ma'am, this city is facing what could possibly be the greatest crisis in its history. I have to speak to him ASAP."</p><p>"You can try his cell phone, but he usually doesn't keep it on him when he hits the court. Your best option might be to go get him yourself."</p><p>"Shouldn't his bodyguard have a phone?"</p><p>"Oh, I didn't think of that. Let me bring the number up." Melanie gave the Chief the number as she pulled it up on her phone. Without even saying thanks, he placed his phone to his ear and stalked off.</p><p>"Oh my, I haven't seen him this upset since the Beak and Khaka Peu Peu were battling to the death in downtown Danville. I wonder what's the matter?" Melanie asked her now empty room.</p><hr/><p>It was the hottest part of the day, and the various swimming pools were the most popular attraction aboard the sky-ship at the moment. Those who wanted to rest from the eventful morning picked spots to relax and nap in the shade or sun, depending on their preference. Thrill seekers were enjoying the shorter lines at all the rides and entertainment rooms, and those who were hungry quickly learned how to order a meal. Of course, there was no shortage of snow cones, even though some children had eaten as many as five apiece. Although the park was nearing maximum capacity, its builders knew what they were doing, and there was plenty of space for occupants between the two tiers—one above deck, one below. Everything was running smoothly for the moment.</p><hr/><p>The elevator slowed to a halt, and Agent P kicked the door open.</p><p>"Perry the Platypus!?" Doofenshmirtz was blow drying a rug as it hung over a clothes line. "Oh, don't mind me, I was just cleaning up from the little mess you made earlier. I uh, I forgot you might be coming back, so you caught me a little unprepared. Would you just give me one moment, one moment please?"</p><p>Agent P put his hands on his hips and gave Doofenshmirtz an impatient look.</p><p>Doofenshmirtz tossed the hairdryer over his shoulder and cleared his throat, then eccentrically waved his hand back and forth in front of his face, using the brief breaks in eye contact to compose a menacing look as his expression. Finally ready, he spoke. "Ah, Perry the Platypus, your presence is unrequested. And by <em>unrequested,</em> I mean—oh, you know what, this is totally déjà vu-ish, I'm pretty sure we've been through this before."</p><p>Agent P held out the mass of rope he'd found in the elevator and dropped it on the floor, as if to say, <em>this is new</em>.</p><p>Doofenshmirtz didn't catch the meaning. "Ah, thank you, I've been meaning to bring that in, how thoughtful." Agent P pointed a finger at Doofenshmirtz accusingly. "What? You want me to take you for a walk, or something? It's a rope, not a leash; it would be a little heavy for an afternoon stroll." Agent P wanted to smack his own forehead in frustration, he was not in the mood for this. He took a deep breath and began performing a series of complicated gestures which aren't important enough and are too creative to be detailed here. Doofenshmirtz watched for a moment and comprehension dawned. "Oh, you're wondering why I have a rope at all and what I was planning to do with it. Why didn't you just say so? And by the way, you would be really good at charades."</p><p>Agent P gave him a hopeless stare.</p><p>"To answer your question, it was all part of my brilliant plan. Phase one was to get rid of every school in the city. Phase two involves transferring the consolidation of power to me. I needed someone I could use as a puppet, who would then be able to call out my brother Roger as someone unfit to be ruler of the Tri-State Area. And it just so happens that the perfect puppet for my machinations takes a walk through my alley out back every night after dark. So, as you might have guessed, I brought him in last night for a little convincing." Doofenshmirtz pulled his Do-Whatever-I-Say-Inator from his lab coat pocket to show the platypus what convincing meant. "This -Inator makes somebody do whatever I say. For example, oh Norm!"</p><p>The giant robot appeared as soon as he was called. "Purple is my favorite color!" He cheerfully offered.</p><p>"Why don't you fetch me a bucket of ice?" Doofenshmirtz asked, then pointed the -Inator like a weapon and fired.</p><p>"Would you like fries with that?" The robot uttered congenially before wandering off.</p><p>"See? I call it my 'Do-Whatever-I-Say-Inator,' because it makes whoever it hits do whatever I say! Cool, huh? So with some coaxing from my little friend here," Doofenshmirtz returned the device to his pocket, "my guest became the missing link I needed to tip the scales in my favor. Soon, phase two will be put into motion, and not even you, Perry the Platypus, will be able to stop me! As for my little mind slave, he is not hurt, so don't get your beaver tail in a bunch, or however that saying goes. I suppose you could go out there and try looking for him, but it would be like trying to find a straw in a... straw-hat—or a nail in a store that sells only... screws and bolts, or something. I-I know there's a common phrase that I'm forgetting; it means really hard to find—oh, whatever, I think you get the point. So you could try looking for him, or I'm pretty sure it's going to be on TV here soon, you could stay and watch the fireworks with me. It's going to be crazy!"</p><p>Agent P considered his options. Doofenshmirtz seemed pretty convinced his pawn was safely hidden. But there was the cell phone Agent P found earlier. Who was its owner? Why was Doofenshmirtz so convinced that this man was the one who would make him ruler? If he could trace the cell phone back to this man, he might be able to find him soon enough to stop this from getting out of hand. The computer in his underground lair ought to do the trick. Having made up his mind, Agent P hurried back to the elevator. Doofenshmirtz would have to wait until the next confrontation.</p><p>"I was going to offer you an ice cream sandwich, but if that's your choice, then it's fine with me!" Doofenshmirtz called after him.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Candace had been dropped off beside the expanse of yellow-green grass. Ahead she could see a wide metal platform where the elevator began. Now that she was alone again, she realized she didn't know how to operate the elevator. She walked forward slowly, looking up and down the mechanism as she approached. Finally, as she was about to take her first step on, she said, "Well, here goes nothing."</p><p>The instant the platform sensed her weight, a smooth male voice emitted from somewhere in the machine. "Please step away from the edge, your ascent will begin momentarily." She did, and the voice muted. As if waiting for other passengers, a few seconds passed, and then the voice spoke again. "Before using the Elevator to the Coolness, you will be instructed briefly on some brief safety precautions. The Elevator to the Coolness allows a unique view of the city as it rises. The safety walls that you see forming to surround the floor are made by focusing lasers until they become solid. This transparent matter allows for an unobstructed view on your way to Phineas and Ferb's Make Summer Last Forever. Please keep your head, arms, and legs inside the Elevator to the Coolness at all times. Please do not use the Elevator to the Coolness if you need to use the bathroom, are not wearing shoes, are carrying magnets, or if you ate waffles for breakfast. Alternative means of transport will be provided for those who need special assistance. If you have a fear of heights, it is recommended that you do not use the Elevator to the Coolness without first consulting a physician or, if that is not possible, that you wear a blindfold while riding. Thank you, and have the best day ever."</p><p>"Oh shoot, I have a fear of heights, what do I do?" Before Candace could do anything, "walls" materialized to keep occupants from leaving the elevator prematurely, and the platform began to rise. Candace reflexively clamped her eyes shut and screamed, but after the initial push-off, it felt like the movement stopped. She opened her eyes. The ground was fading away so rapidly, it was eerie, but she couldn't detect any motion at all. "Huh, this isn't so bad," she nervously said to herself. She didn't know it, but the technology included an inertia-muter that helped prevent motion sickness. As she watched the city retreat further and further, she had to admit it was beautiful up here. Then she peeled her eyes away to look up. She was almost to the floating structure already. Up close, it was the biggest thing she had ever seen. It was a mountain of metal.</p><p>She could see from how close she was that the elevator was slowing, but oddly could still feel no motion from the ride. At last, the platform reached the level of the deck, and locked into place. The walls evaporated, and the guide voice commanded to disembark. Candace looked around to take in her surroundings. There were trees and buildings and rides and people everywhere. <em>There is no way I'm going to find Phineas and Ferb up here, </em>she thought.</p><hr/><p>After arriving at his underground lair, Agent P went right to work on identifying the cell phone's owner. With the resources of the O.W.C.A. at his fingertips, he expected it to be quick. First he would search for every adult male named Donald Fergusson, then cross-reference that information with any address that was within walking distance of Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. Hopefully, that would narrow it down to only a couple of individuals. That would be faster than going through the elaborate process of locating a cell phone purchase from who knows how long ago. He was worried that the computer might run a little slow; after all, the O.W.C.A. was nothing if not a little stingy with hardware investments. But Carl usually kept the server pretty clean, so hopefully it wouldn't be an issue.</p><p>After a few minutes of processing, the computer displayed three matches.</p><p>Lt. Col. Donald Fergusson<br/>Age: 66<br/>Occupation: Retired Military<br/>Address: 555 Walnut Ln, Tri-State Area, USA</p><p>Donald Fergusson<br/>Age: 48<br/>Occupation: Head Superintendent; Danville Board of Education<br/>Address: 81 North Market St, Tri-State Area, USA</p><p>Donald Fergusson Jr.<br/>Age: 31<br/>Occupation: Inmate, Danville Penitentiary</p><p>It was so simple that even Agent P was surprised. The phone almost certainly didn't belong to a man spending time in prison, (that hit didn't even carry an address, how did it even show up as a result?) so he threw that name out forthwith. Taking a closer look at the other names, one thing stood out above all else. Head Superintendent. It couldn't be a coincidence that on the last day before school started, Doofenshmirtz would make a school-themed -Inator and involve a school superintendent to carry out his plans. That had to be the one Agent P was looking for. It was all starting to make sense.</p><p>Before Agent P finished his business, he desired to monitor what the local law enforcement knew so far. There was still a chance that nobody had noticed the missing schools, and if it was possible, he wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately, he wasn't exactly sure how to. Normally Carl would have already done so, and Agent P could leave Major Monogram to deal with the authorities. But Carl wasn't in today; and when Carl wasn't in, Major Monogram usually found weird things to do to keep himself busy, like waxing his back. Whatever the Major was doing, Agent P didn't want to interrupt him in the middle of a mission. He would just have to hope he could fix everything before it got out of hand. He'd done it a million times before.</p><hr/><p>Mayor Doofenshmirtz was having such a delightful day. And somehow, it had turned on its head. Now he sat with his head in his hands, staring at the satellite photographs on his desk.</p><p>"How could something like this happen? How could a building just disappear? No wreckage, no witnesses, no clues? How is this even possible?"</p><p>"We're not sure. Aliens, Bigfoot, I don't know. All we know is that there is a pit of sand left where all the schools used to be," the chief of police answered gruffly from the corner of the room.</p><p>"Well, what can we do?" the mayor asked.</p><p>"Our analysts are still working on it. We haven't really anticipated something like this happening, so everything we can discuss is theoretical. Theoretically, we could bus the children to schools in the next county until we have a system up and running again, or theoretically, the schools might magically reappear before the sun goes down. We just don't know right now."</p><p>Silence descended as the two men tried to comprehend the magnitude of what they were discussing. After nearly a minute, the mayor spoke up. "Has the public found out about this yet?"</p><p>"Not yet, sir. Fortunately, I think, almost the entire population went to the sky-ship for the last day of summer. Nobody has any idea what has transpired down here—yet."</p><p>"Well, then I think there is one thing we can do."</p><p>"What is that, sir?"</p><p>"When I ran for this office, I made a promise that I would always be honest with the people. That no matter what happened, I would be a beacon of light to those who cowered in darkness. I want to let the people know we are doing all we can to resolve the situation."</p><p>The Chief looked horrified. His voice rose as he said, "That is not a good idea. We don't know how the people will respond to something like this! You could lose all your support, there could even be riots in the streets! There would be nothing left but chaos and anarchy! As soon as the people learn what has happened to the schools, they will start to fear for their homes, their businesses—everything would collapse into ruin!" The Chief walked up and banged his hands on the desk to make his point clear.</p><p>"I think you're over-exaggerating a bit." The mayor calmly replied.</p><p>The Chief slowly stood up straight and, taking a deep breath, he turned and sat down in a brown leather chair. "We can't make any rash decisions until we have a plan," he carefully said, trying to control his temper.</p><p>"What would you have me do? Let the people come down and happen upon the damage that has been done? That, my friend, would scare them more than anything. To see their leaders do nothing."</p><p>"I didn't say that."</p><p>"What, then? Force them stay in the air, just let them party until we're good and ready for them to return?"</p><p>"I just want you to stop and think before you do something stupid! We don't know what's at stake here, and even worse, we don't have any answers!" The Chief exploded. He found himself standing again, and could feel his face was red.</p><p>Mayor Doofenshmirtz waited. He didn't want to argue with his chief of police. He needed complete cooperation from everybody if they were going to make any headway. Using a soft voice, he said, "It isn't stupidity, it's honesty. I don't believe the people will go crazy if they <em>know</em> we are being completely candid with them and that we're doing everything we can to keep them safe. Even if that weren't true, it's still our best option right now, to prevent worse things from happening down the road."</p><p>Just then, Melanie opened the door and looked in. "Is everything alright? We could hear you from out here."</p><p>The Chief glared at the Mayor, then turned and walked out the door Melanie was holding. She noticed the sad look on the Mayor's face before he said, "Melanie, call the press. Tell them I will be speaking in one hour."</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Agent P couldn't remember the last time he <em>knocked</em> on someone's door. He was used to kicking it down, in the case of Doofenshmirtz, or scratching to be let in, as when at home. On his way to Donald Fergusson's home, he looked through the phone's pictures and recent text messages to get an idea of the man's family life. He saw pictures of two women, probably his wife and daughter. The texts all seemed to come from the daughter, who was apparently attending her first year of college and had moved out a few weeks ago. Now as he knocked on the door, he wondered if anybody were even home to answer it, or if they had joined the rest of the city on the boys' float.</p><p>After a couple seconds, he heard movement inside, then the plump woman he recognized as Mrs. Fergusson answered the door. "Hello, what may I do for you?" She asked kindly.</p><p>Agent P held up a picture of Donald Fergusson on the phone.</p><p>"Oh, you want to see my husband? He's not here right now, he's at work. Can I take a message?"</p><p>Agent P quickly typed some words into the phone's memo pad, and handed it to the woman to read.</p><p>"You want to know where to find him? I'm sorry, but I can't recall him telling me where he was going before he left. You'll have to come by some other time. He's very busy with work this time of year."</p><p>Agent P snatched the phone and entered another script, then delivered it back to her hand.</p><p>"You know, now that I think about it, he was acting strangely," she replied. "He got home unusually late last night from his walk after dinner, then I saw him wearing a white lab coat earlier today. And in his sleep, he kept muttering, 'obey Doofenshmirtz' over and over. I just thought perhaps he'd had too much caffeine before bed. But it's probably nothing, dear."</p><p>Agent P tipped his hat respectfully and walked away. Mrs. Fergusson closed the door and said, "What a nice young lad that was. Oh, why he left his phone here! Poor thing, doesn't seem to be able to talk without it. I'll just leave it by the door in case he comes back. Well, it's getting dark outside. I think I'll go take a short little nap."</p><hr/><p>The shade from the sky-park had completely enveloped the city. Agent P was grateful that it kept it cooler, but he wished he could throw some light on his case. He was out of clues again, except that the man he sought was probably wearing a lab coat. Now, why on earth did <em>that</em> sound so familiar?</p><p>Completely stumped, Agent P looked at his scooter, trying to think of a way to find Donald Fergusson. He knew that returning to Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated would be a waste of time, but he couldn't imagine what else he could do at this point. Resigning himself to that plan, he was putting on his helmet when his wrist communicator went off. Monogram needed to speak to him.</p><p>Agent P pushed a button and the watch-like device displayed Major Monogram's face. "Oh, there you are Agent P, we've just received news that the Mayor, Roger Doofenshmirtz, is holding a press conference soon. You might want to check it out—you know, Dr. Doofenshmirtz always seems to show up at those. By the way, what's the status on your current mission?"</p><p>The look Agent P gave told Monogram exactly what he thought of his mission.</p><p>"That bad, huh? Well, keep working on it; I gotta get back to my karaoke machine. <em>I wanna sing!</em>" Monogram awkwardly sang the last three words. "Oh, sorry you had to see that, Agent P; I, uh, thought I'd turned this thing off—I'm just gonna go now." And the communicator clicked dark.</p><p>Despite Monogram's strange behaviors, Agent P thought the Major had a good idea. Remembering back, he thought of what Doofenshmirtz had said earlier: "It's going to be on TV soon, you could stay and watch the fireworks!" Wondering what Doofenshmirtz was planning now, he turned the ignition on and put his scooter into gear.</p><hr/><p>Hot, tired, and flustered, Candace stared unenthusiastically at the map in front of her. "Oh, this is useless. It's just too big! Mom, why did you have to pick this day of all days to make busting impossible?" she murmured. "All you would've had to do is look up at the sky and see it!" Taking stock, she realized she needed a better plan than just running about willy-nilly. But it was hard to think right now.</p><p>Ever since she had arrived, her busting urge had been going overboard. She had tried calling her mother again, but the result was the same as always. Still, her urge was sapping her concentration. The baking sun wasn't helping either. Frustrated, she pushed the urge aside and said, "What I need right now is a cool place where I can sit and rest while I keep searching the ship."</p><p>In the ironic luck Danville always seems to provide those in need, she suddenly heard a voice call out, "All aboard! Ride the Fun Train and you'll see everything Phineas and Ferb's 'Make Summer Last Forever' has to offer! Air conditioned cars are now available!"</p><p>Candace twisted around to find the source, but her eyes gravitated to something completely unexpected. <em>There's Jeremy!</em> He was holding his little sister Suzy's hand, helping her into a car a third of the way down the train. Immediately Candace called out his name and sprinted to catch him.</p><p>"Jeremy! Jeremy, wait!"</p><p>The cool blonde-headed boy turned when he heard his name, and said, "Oh, hey Candace! What's up?"</p><p>"Can I ride the train with you and Suzy?" she asked.</p><p>"Certainly, I'm sure Suzy won't mind, will you?" he directed to his sister.</p><p>Candace looked up to see an evil grin flash across the young girl's face, as if she had just learned her birthday had come early. Then it was sweet and innocent again, as she said, "Yes, Candace! Please ride the train with us! It will be <em>very</em> fun!" Jeremy didn't seem to catch the camouflaged emphasis she put on <em>very</em>.</p><p>"Alright, hop in." Jeremy held out his hand for Candace to steady herself as she stepped in. Once they were all settled in cushioned seats, he asked, "So, what have you been up to today? Some party your brothers decided to throw, eh?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah, well, you know how they are, always making crazy stuff," Candace said nervously. She had just realized she was sweating from being outside, so she had chosen to sit across from Jeremy instead of next to him like she normally would have preferred. She wondered if he had noticed when he held her hand to help her in. Automatically wiping it against her skirt, she tried to keep him talking. "What about you? Been up here long?"</p><p>"Yeah. I was supposed to work today, but when your brothers made that announcement over the city this morning, I think everybody packed up and closed to come here. My boss said I could take the day off. You gotta admit, this thing is pretty cool." Jeremy watched her to see if she would show any signs of busting today.</p><p>"Yep, it sure is." Candace said, laughing to hide her insecurities. Jeremy seemed to relax, so she thought it worked. "I'm actually looking for my brothers right now," she continued. "You haven't seen them by chance?"</p><p>"Nope, Suzy and I have been driving bumper cars and getting snow cones together; but I think your brothers seek a higher road than the one Suzy's old enough for."</p><p>"Bubble!" Suzy squeaked, causing her and Jeremy to giggle as if it was their special joke.</p><p>After a moment's pause, Jeremy looked inquisitively at Candace and asked, "Is everything okay, Candace? You look like you're worried about something."</p><p>"Yeah, Candace, what's the matter?" Suzy asked sweetly. A little too sweetly, Candace thought.</p><p>Was Candace worried? For sure. Every school in the Tri-State Area had gone missing. Did she want to tell Jeremy? Yes, eventually. But she absolutely didn't want to show weakness in front of Suzy. "It's—nothing. Just been a long day, that's all. You know, with school starting tomorrow, and everything." Candace tried to muster up some cheerfulness to make it sound convincing. "Can't wait to see what classes we have together, right Jeremy?" she smiled.</p><p>"Right. It should be interesting," he smiled back.</p><p>Suddenly Suzy looked upset. "Jeremy, what's going to happen after you finish high school? Once you've graduated, what are you going to do then?" she asked.</p><p>"Well, I don't really know yet, Suzy. I'm thinking about going to college to study music, but I haven't really made up my mind. I'm just gonna take it easy and try not to rush things."</p><p>"Okay. When do you graduate, Candace?" the precocious toddler asked.</p><p>"I don't graduate until another year after Jeremy does."</p><p>"What if he goes to college, and you don't see him for a whole year? Will you still be his girlfriend? I wouldn't want you to split up over the difficulties long-distance relationships create," she said, receiving an, 'aww, that's sweet' from Jeremy. Candace instead shot her a glare, knowing full well what she was implying. Suzy returned a wicked smile to the redhead across from her, knowing she had struck gold.</p><p>At that moment, the train started moving, and the driver introduced himself over an intercom and informed the riders he would be their tour guide.</p><p>"About time," Candace said, turning to see the motion through the window. "Can you guys help me watch? I'm gonna try to see if I can find my brothers."</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I think I see your brothers over there," Jeremy said, pointing out the window.</p><p>"You're right, that's them!" Candace said, surprised at how easy that was. She saw Phineas and Ferb about sixty yards away on a high platform, where it looked like they were preparing to dive down onto a giant sponge. "Weird, usually my plans fail when I'm trying to do something really important."</p><p>"Maybe I am your good luck charm," Jeremy grinned, wagging his eyebrows.</p><p>"Heehee, maybe you are." Candace giggled back, blushing a tad red.</p><p>Suzy's face was steaming even redder. "Look over there!" She pointed out the other side. "I see a cloud that looks like a tiger!" she exclaimed, vying for Jeremy's attention. "Look at it!"</p><p>"I see it, I see it," Jeremy said patiently.</p><p>"It's so big! And scary looking!" Suzy did her best to hold him to her imagination.</p><p>Candace was looking at the door, ready to catch up with her brothers. "Um, Jeremy?" she interrupted. "I really would like to ride the train longer with you, but I have to go. It's important that I find my brothers before they go somewhere else."</p><p>"Oh, okay." He said, hiding his disappointment.</p><p>Now Candace felt awkward again. "I do have something else I need to talk to you about. Later, though." She said, trying to indicate with her eyes that it was something she didn't want to say in front of Suzy. "I'll text you later tonight?"</p><p>"Okay." He said, a little worried now too.</p><p>Candace stood, wondering how to best exit the train. It was moving at a slow enough pace that she could jump off with ease, but she remembered the conductor giving the usual spiel about not opening the doors or placing any body part outside the train while it was moving. Still, she didn't think he'd do anything if she did.</p><p>She threw her hair back and said over her shoulder, "Until tonight, then, my Good Luck Charm." That made him smile, so she confidently opened the door and sprang to the ground, landing lightly on her feet. She waved at Jeremy as he closed the door behind her, already pulling ahead as the train rolled on.</p><p>Candace turned back, and focused on where she had seen Phineas and Ferb. They were still on the platform high overhead, now maybe two hundred yards away. It was strange to think this was the first time she had seen them since they were standing in the backyard earlier that morning.</p><hr/><p>What a wonderful sensation this was. If it wasn't for the unyielding ground rushing towards him, he thought he would like doing this more often. He knew he should be feeling fear right now, but instead, he felt mostly exhilaration. The air whooshing past his body, the sudden upward flutter of his stomach, the anticipation that made him want to hold his breath. He was falling, falling. He thought he should have landed by now, but the ground was still far below. Far below, but quickly approaching. How could he still be falling? It was as if his altitude had suddenly increased at the moment he jumped. He wanted to look around, but there wasn't enough time. And yet, it seemed like time had slowed down, like a grain of sand awaiting its turn to shoot down the neck of an hourglass. Before he landed, he wondered if this was what a bug thought before it collided with your windshield on the freeway.</p><p>Phineas' body was absorbed into the large sponge target, and he felt Ferb also land to his side.</p><p>"Woo-hoo! That was awesome, Ferb! How come we've never gone skydiving?" Phineas exclaimed as he sat up. He rolled on his side to try getting off the sponge, but it was hard not to sink with every movement.</p><p>"Need a hand?" a familiar voice said, and then Phineas felt himself being pulled to his feet. He looked up to see his sister help Ferb onto solid ground as well.</p><p>"Hi Candace!" Phineas enthusiastically said, his genuine smile proving his pleasure at seeing her.</p><p>Just then, a high pitched "wheee!" spliced the air, and Isabella landed on the sponge. Phineas and Candace held out a hand to pull her up, and Baljeet landed there a second later. He didn't have time to move before Buford slammed into the sponge, causing it to rebound so violently that Baljeet was tossed into the air again, clearing the sponge to land a full five feet away on his face.</p><p>"Watch where you are falling!" he called out to the bully, taking a moment to rub a bump on his head.</p><p>"Watch where other people are landing!" Buford countered back, brushing himself off.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, we get it, now everybody's here," Candace said impatiently.</p><p>"Well actually, we haven't seen the rest of Isabella's troop or Irving yet," Phineas politely corrected.</p><p>"It's Candace's troop too," Isabella muttered under her breath.</p><p>"Is anybody else suffering from symptoms of mild dehydration?" Baljeet asked aloud.</p><p>"How 'bout we all go grab some drinks?" Phineas asked everyone. "Why don't you come, Candace? We can tell you about all the cool stuff we've been doing today!"</p><p>"I'm pretty sure that what I need to tell you will be much more—compelling," Candace replied.</p><p>"Then it's settled! Let's go find some shade."</p><hr/><p>From his vantage point, the roof of a building across the street from City Hall, Agent P could see everything perfectly. There were not very many people below him. Not surprising, considering the events of the day. He could see all the important government officials and a team of security, and there was a small group of press preparinging their cameras and microphones. And that was it. There had been no sign of Doofenshmirtz. In fact, Agent P was using the same rooftop vantage point the evil doctor had used many times previously in his attempts to disrupt his brother's political engagements.</p><hr/><p>The group had chosen a small restaurant with comfy tables to rest and refuel. It was indoors with air conditioning, letting them cool off while they sipped their lemonades and cherry sodas. There was a small television set in one corner, but the volume was on low. The place was busy; not packed with people, yet not quiet, either.</p><p>The step brothers sat together; Isabella was next to Phineas opposite Ferb. Candace sat across from them, looking deep in thought, as if trying to figure out how she was going to say something. Baljeet and Buford filled the rest of the table space, as the one tried dodging the other's flying ice cubes. After a pause for beverage refreshment, Phineas put down his drink and asked, "So what was it you wanted to tell us, Candace?"</p><p>Candace looked over her drink at her little brother. "Um," she started, "okay, this is probably going to sound completely crazy, but—"</p><p>"Hey, it's the mayor! Somebody turn the TV up!" someone shouted from across the room, interrupting Candace.</p><p>The kids looked up to see everyone in the room heading for the television set on the far wall. Someone else said, "Quiet! He's about to speak!" Silence descended, and the kids could hear Mayor Doofenshmirtz's voice as they craned their necks to view the screen.</p><p>"My fellow citizens of the Tri-State Area, it is as always an honor to address you here today as your mayor. I know today has been an unusual day for most of you, and I want to personally congratulate our mysterious friends who so graciously opened the park which is floating high above our heads as I speak. Phineas and Ferb, if you can hear me, thank you for bringing this wonderful attraction to our beautiful city." Every head in the room glanced at the kids' table briefly and then turned back to the television set.</p><p>Isabella teasingly whispered, "Watch out, Phineas, when this is all over, you and Ferb might be celebrities."</p><p>"However," the mayor continued, "I am sorry to say that that is not the reason I arranged for this press conference. Unfortunately, troubling circumstances have befallen our precious city, and as your mayor, it is my duty to properly inform the public of their seriousness and to account for the measures we have taken to deal with them."</p><hr/><p>Agent P was afraid that he already knew what the mayor would say next. This was not good. For the first time, he had not been able to contain Doofenshmirtz's scheme while it was still (mostly) harmless. And now, the public was about to learn what damage the evil scientist had caused.</p><p>"Let me first assure you that we, as your leaders, are confident in our ability to combat this new threat. Indeed, it is your trust in us that gives us inspiration when grappling with the unseen forces who would attempt to be our undoing." Mayor Doofenshmirtz looked at the cameras and flashed the smile he practiced in front of the mirror every morning. "But when you chose me to be your mayor, I made a promise that I would always be a beacon of light, shining to pierce the darkness before it consumed every good thing we have to enjoy. It is in the spirit of this promise that I speak before you now."</p><p>Agent P rolled his eyes at that. Typical politician, always trying to sell himself.</p><p>"Today is the last day of summer vacation. As I am sure you are all aware, schools ought to be opening their doors tomorrow to give our bright young children the education they deserve. I have always believed that education is the key to our future. But it seems that there are some who don't share my views. Just a few hours ago, we learned that an unknown villain has caused every school in the city to vanish, including John P. Tristate Elementary and Danville High. Please, hold all questions until the end," he had to say when all the reporters jumped in their seats to ask for more information.</p><p>"Yes, I'm afraid it's true. We have taken these satellite photos to show you what I mean." The reporters and cameras turned to a screen to his right, where a projector displayed a bird's eye view of multiple sites. Each had noticeable brown rectangular patches of smoothed dirt surrounded by grass, pavement, and landscaping.</p><p>Agent P shivered as the world saw the work of his nemesis. There was nothing he could do to stop it now.</p><p>"At the moment, we aren't quite sure how or why they have disappeared, but our experts are working ceaselessly to shed some light on this mystery. I assure you, when we discover who the culprit is, he or she will be brought to justice. In the meantime, I regretfully announce that school will be suspended until further notice. As I previously mentioned, we are confident we will get to the bottom of this mess in a most expedient manner and are hopeful that the suspension will be brief."</p><hr/><p>The only person in the restaurant who wasn't staring at the television set in disbelief was Candace Flynn. Instead, she watched the expressions of the people around her while she felt a sick feeling rise from the pit of her stomach. Even though she already knew about the disappearances, it was eerie watching the drama unfold on the TV screen. She wanted to ask Phineas and Ferb if somehow one of their past projects might have accidentally caused this, but she didn't want to break the silence, at least not until the press conference was over.</p><p>The TV set was temporarily quiet, apparently the flock of reporters had again erupted with questions, and this time the Mayor permitted one to ask.</p><p>"Mayor Doofenshmirtz," the reporter inquired, "what does this mean for the children who were to be attending school? How are you going to accommodate the families who are affected by this, and what are your plans for integrating the children back into a school environment?"</p><p>"What I am saying," the Mayor replied, "is that this will be considered an extended summer. There will be an appropriate number of days added to the end of the next school year to assure that the children will still be receiving a full education; we will simply be a shorter summer next year. Furthermore, if the missing schools cannot be replaced or rebuilt in a timely manner, we will use existing buildings as substitutes for the duration of the year. I will take one more question."</p><p>Candace watched an odd look cross Phineas' face as he digested this new information. Ferb looked unflappable as ever, but she didn't doubt that underneath he was as troubled by it as his step-siblings were.</p><hr/><p>Another reporter was selected by the Mayor. "Mayor Doofenshmirtz, does this event reflect in any way the lack of protection currently provided to the city by your administration?" he asked.</p><p>"Excuse me?" Mayor Doofenshmirtz replied, taken aback.</p><p>"Well, it seems to me that if our government is unable to protect school buildings from danger, how can the good people of this city expect any better when it comes to protecting their homes and businesses? Or the children themselves?"</p><p>Mayor Doofenshmirtz was afraid that type of question would come up and had prepared for it. "Let me answer that by reminding you that this sort of crime has never been pulled off with such large scale precision and timing. Due to its unprecedented nature, I think it is understandable to admit we weren't prepared for it."</p><p>"Understandable, maybe, but not acceptable. What about the day Khaka Peu Peu was attacking to the city? You weren't prepared for that, either."</p><p>"I won't tolerate this criticism when we have so much work to do. I think everyone here knows it wasn't just charms and good looks that landed me this job," the politician lied, "it was the fact that the people trusted me. Now we are all going to be busy for the next little while, so I am going back to work. This press conference is now over." And with that, Mayor Roger Doofenshmirtz turned and stalked off the podium, protected from further questioning by his security detail.</p><p>The second reporter stood and turned to face the cameras. He was wearing a white lab coat with the initials D.E.I. stamped on his breast. His neat appearance and well groomed hair gave him an air of sophistication and collective intelligence; further enhanced by the fact that he looked like a pharmacist, which gave him additional credibility. "Do you really believe this man is capable of providing you with the protection you deserve?" he asked the cameras. "Can he be counted on when the going gets tough? I'll let you be the judges of that for yourselves."</p><hr/><p>The crowd around the TV set slowly dispersed and made their way back to their tables. Candace caught some of them muttering things like, 'how can we really know we are safe?' and 'that pharmacist has a good point.' People began to discuss generally what just happened, and the normal restaurant atmosphere returned somewhat.</p><p>Baljeet was the first to make a sound at the kids' table; he brought his hands to his face and began sobbing. "Oh, now what am I going to do? The first day of school is my favorite day of the year! This is worse than if Christmas itself had been canceled!"</p><p>"I'm kind of happy school is canceled. It never was my thing anyways." Buford said.</p><p>"Buford! How can you say that that?" Isabella chided. "This is terrible!"</p><p>Candace couldn't hold back any more. "Phineas, is there any possible way one of your inventions had something to do with this?"</p><p>Phineas looked like he hadn't even heard her. He was too deep in thought.</p><p>"Phineas? Are you alright?" Isabella asked with a concerned look on her face.</p><p>"What? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking." Phineas said, snapping out of his daze. He looked up from his hands to his friends, then back to his hands. "It's—I—I don't know," he stammered.</p><p>Candace repeated herself. "Did one of your inventions do this?"</p><p>"No, no, it's nothing like that," he assured.</p><p>"Then what is it?" Isabella asked.</p><p>Phineas was careful with every word he used. "It's just, this summer has been the best time of my life, and to be honest, I have been so sad all day that it has to end." He paused, and in a low voice, said, "I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to school yet."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to school yet."</p><p>Baljeet was probably the most visibly shocked by Phineas' statement. "How can you not be ready for school? It is so important and so much fun! I have been looking forward to tomorrow for three whole months!"</p><p>"I know you have, and I know it's important," Phineas defended himself. "I was prepared to go just go with the flow—to go to school and try to make it the best day ever, like I always do; but now that it comes to this, I actually would rather summer lasted a little longer. Ferb and I didn't get to do everything we wanted; we had to sacrifice some really cool ideas because there wasn't enough time to fit them all into one summer vacation. With a little more time, we <em>could</em> do them all, and our summer would be complete. Then I'll be more than happy to back to school."</p><p>"I knew it!" Candace cried out. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the call of summer!" Everyone gave Candace's outburst a surprised look. "What? You mean you don't see what I do? Well, let me tell you. Here we have my brothers, the Kings of Summer, on the verge of losing their throne to the drudgery of the mundane, boring schedule of going to school every day, where there is no creativity, no fun, no imagination; only work. It all makes perfect sense to me."</p><p>"You're right!" Buford pounded his fist to the table to emphasize his support. "School is lame! Why do you even need to go anyways? We've proven all summer long that paperwork and lecturing doesn't get anything done. The only way to get what you want is by living in a universe that bends to your will, where you aren't governed by the laws of physics, and are capable of pulling off impossible things everyday. You know what? I think I won't even go to school after the suspension is lifted. I'm gonna just do what I want and get my own universe where everything goes my way!"</p><p>"Are you even listening to what you are saying?" Baljeet quickly countered. "What you are suggesting is utterly ridiculous! Not just the 'getting your own universe' part, but the school part too! School is essential to qualify for the field of work you choose to enter and helps you create lifelong habits of learning and working. If you do not take advantage of school, you will never be able to accomplish the goals in your life that make it worth living."</p><p>"Candace agrees with me." Buford said.</p><p>"Whoa, I never said that." Candace responded, waving her arms in front of her. "I just said I knew which side my brothers would pick."</p><p>"Well, what do <em>you</em> think about all this, Candace?" Phineas asked.</p><p>"The only thing I want is to bust you two." Candace spouted. "Since that ain't gonna happen, then going to school is the next best thing. It at least keeps you both occupied and stops you from being the world's most annoying brothers for six hours of the day."</p><p>"See? She is on <em>my</em> side!" Baljeet gloated over Buford.</p><p>"Only in the technical sense, kid." Candace coolly crossed her arms.</p><p>"Well, either way, it doesn't matter," Buford said, not keen to allow Baljeet to have the last word. "School is canceled, nothing you can do about it. Better enjoy it while it lasts."</p><p>Baljeet opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, looking at Phineas and Ferb. Then he said, "But there <em>is</em> something we can do about it, right guys?" he directed to them, almost pleading.</p><p>Ferb as always was unreadable, but Phineas couldn't look his friend in the eyes. "Well, I dunno," he slowly started to say. "The Mayor said they were doing everything they could to locate the schools, so why don't we just wait for a little while, and let them do their jobs?" Phineas glanced at Baljeet and saw the hurt in the small boy's eyes. "It's not like we'll be missing school really, he said there would be make-up days," he added, trying to placate Baljeet.</p><p>"Look, Phineas," Candace stood up forcefully, making Phineas draw back. "After I discovered that the schools were missing, I have been searching for you because I thought you would know how to fix this, like you always do. But apparently I was wrong. If you want your summer to last longer, you'll find your sister doing what she's been doing all summer: trying to bust you guys to Mom. I'm going home." Just like that, Candace turned and started walking away.</p><p>"Candace, wait!" Phineas called after her, but she paid no heed and walked out the door.</p><p>Baljeet was looking a little sick. "I think I have had enough lemonade for today," he said. Arising, he tossed away his drink and followed after Candace.</p><p>"Real smooth, you guys." Isabella said aloud.</p><p>"Isabella!" Phineas said, as if he had forgotten she was there. "You've been awfully quiet about all this, what do you think we should do?"</p><p>It tore the sweet girl apart on the inside, looking at Phineas right now. One of the reasons she adored Phineas so much was because he was a true friend, honest and caring, even if sometimes a little naïve. But he was so shaken by what he'd just said to his sister and friend that his face was pale. She could almost taste the guilt exuding from him.</p><p>On principle, Isabella sided more with Candace. Ever since she watched the news conference, she hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something really bad was going on, and she wanted to investigate. On the other hand, she did not want to walk away from the love of her life the way the other two had. She wished so badly that she could share her feelings with Phineas (not just the ones about the schools), but was afraid he would shut her down like he just did to Baljeet. She also thought he was being very selfish right now, and had half a mind to tell him so. It was so hard to think clearly whenever she was around Phineas; she was unsure what to do.</p><p>One impulse overpowered all else. At her very core, Isabella remembered what her father had always told her. She had to do what was right, no matter what. <em>Even</em> if it hurt Phineas. And right now, the right thing to do was to put the needs of others before their own desires. Summer is great, but learning is even more important. Plus, she couldn't let Phineas ruin his friendship with his sister and Baljeet just because he wanted to have fun a little longer.</p><p>She took a deep breath and said, "Phineas, something's not right. This is <em>really</em> hard for me to tell you, but you've just made a big mistake. You want to know what <em>I</em> think you should do? You need to go apologize to them for what you said, and then we need to learn what is going on down there. This could be something really serious, and we have to try to help if we can. No matter what our feelings are about going back to school," she said, with a look at Buford.</p><p>Looking back at Phineas, she couldn't tell if he was about to cry or scream. She didn't know how long he just sat there—it felt like an eternity. But finally, he held her look and said shakily, "Isabella, how can anyone ever say no to you?" He attempted a weak smile. Ferb put a hand on Phineas' shoulder.</p><p>Isabella smiled back. "It's impossible. Just ask Addyson." Then she reached out and hugged Phineas.</p><hr/><p>The people below him were beginning to leave, and Agent P was preparing to do the same. Looking back, he knew he didn't have a perfect success record for his missions, but he couldn't remember ever botching one this badly. He quickly summed up everything that had happened today. Doofenshmirtz almost killed him with his sandpit trap; the School-Remove-Inator had worked marvelously, literally removing all the schools in the city to who-knows-where; Doofenshmirtz had kidnapped the superintendent and brainwashed him to make Roger look bad during his press conference; and then the public found out about the schools' disappearing. Since when did Doofenshmirtz think his plans through so thoroughly? Wait, take that back. He regularly thought out his plans in a thorough way—a way that was as backwards as the country from which he hailed. The better question was, since when did Doofenshmirtz think his plans through <em>in a way that actually made sense?</em> And then carry them out and for them to actually work? Well, even a broken watch is right once a day. Maybe this was the evil scientist's one lucky day in a lifetime of failed schemes. Perhaps, proverbially, it was just a matter of time before the improbable became probable, and the unlikely likely.</p><p>What was Agent P supposed to do now? Maybe it was time to call quits and prepare for tomorrow's ordeal. He couldn't think of anything he could do now, the puppet superintendent had done his job, the schools were gone; even Doofenshmirtz had said he didn't know where they were, and word had got out to the public. It would be risking Agent P's secret identity to investigate overtly now.</p><p>Agent P didn't like the idea of giving up so easily, but he felt he didn't have much choice. Besides, he was starting to miss his boys, and wanted to make sure they were handling the news about the suspension alright. But he would never underestimate Doofenshmirtz again. Before he would clock-out for the day, he'd pay his nemesis one more visit.</p><hr/><p>"So, how did your visit with the press go?" Melanie asked. "And by the way, how'd you manage to get those satellite images when some giant floating island is blocking most of the city?"</p><p>Mayor Doofenshmirtz shrugged off the question.</p><p>"I noticed you have a new critic," Melanie said.</p><p>"You're right," Roger Doofenshmirtz replied. "It was going smoothly until he decided to throw slick at the fan." He slumped over his desk, a worried look on his face.</p><p>"What's the matter? You've dealt with critics before." Melanie said reassuringly.</p><p>The Mayor looked up at her before he responded. "Don't you remember who he is? We've known him for over a year now." He could tell that his secretary could not by the surprised look she gave him. "It was Donald Fergusson, the superintendent. I've had dinner with his family. He has always been a supporter of mine since I first ran for office."</p><p>Melanie gasped as her memory sparked. "But why would he do something like this? He accused you of not doing enough to protect the city!"</p><p>"I don't know. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was something different about him today," Mayor Doofenshmirtz pondered aloud.</p><p>Melanie thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe he was just really hurt to learn of the missing schools."</p><p>"Perhaps."</p><p>Just then, the Mayor's office phone rang. He instinctively picked it up and answered. "Yes?"</p><p>"Sir, we have someone who wants to meet with you urgently, he says it's about the disappearances."</p><p>"Well, what are you waiting for? Bring him in at once!" Mayor Doofenshmirtz said before replacing the phone. "Looks like we will finally get some answers!" he told Melanie, sitting up straight and adjusting his tie.</p><p>There was a knock on the door, Melanie opened it, and a man in a white lab coat walked in.</p><p>"You!" Melanie spat. "You actually let this man in here?" she asked the usher, "After what he did today at the press conference?"</p><p>"Uh, I'm sorry, ma'am," the muscular guard whom she addressed replied. "I didn't realize it was the same person."</p><p>"It's fine, let him in," Mayor Doofenshmirtz said, standing and taking control of the situation. "I would like to talk to my old friend."</p><p>Melanie gave the visitor a suspicious look before leading the usher back out of the room, closing the door behind them.</p><p>"Now, Don, please, won't you sit down," the Mayor invited, taking his executive chair behind his desk. His friend didn't look well at all. He moved clumsily, as if he wasn't completely in control of his body. There were also small dark bags under his eyes; apparently he hadn't slept much last night.</p><p>Instead of sitting in the indicated chair, he moved to the center of the room and remained standing. "I bring you a message from my Master."</p><p>"Oh really, is that what you call that stunt you pulled earlier?" the Mayor replied impatiently.</p><p>The superintendent completely ignored his question. "You are to resign from this office before the day's end." There wasn't a hint of emotion in his voice.</p><p>"What are you talking about? Why would I resign?"</p><p>"If you do not comply, my Master will bring more destruction upon this city. Your name will be denounced as the one who could have prevented it and didn't."</p><p>"Wait a minute, are you saying you know who's responsible for the schools?" the Mayor asked.</p><p>"My Master only wishes to bring peace and prosperity to the city. He has a better plan for the future of his subjects. One where they will be under his magnanimous protection."</p><p>"Don, why are you acting like this? We've known each other for so long!"</p><p>"Upon your resignation, my Master will assume control of all government and will introduce his new plan."</p><p>"What if I refuse? Why shouldn't I just have you arrested right now?"</p><p>"My life is of little importance to my Master's plan. Either you will step down in resignation or he will cut you down in humiliation. My Master is merciful to all."</p><p>Mayor Doofenshmirtz looked at this man he thought he knew. How could this be happening? Had he been planning to do this ever since they met at one of Roger's first political rallies? Thinking it all over quickly, he knew there was no choice.</p><p>"Very well. I will resign. But you had better watch out, because if I find you, <em>old friend,</em> you will wish you had never been born," the Mayor said, not bothering to hide the poison in his voice.</p><p>The man in the lab coat turned and left.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Ah, Perry the Platypus, you are right on schedule. And of course, by right on schedule, I mean, <em>left</em> on schedule! Get it? Because left is the opposite of—<em>OOF!</em>" Doofenshmirtz was cut off as Agent P punched him in the face. Doofenshmirtz fell onto his backside and, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, said, "Okay, okay, I get it. You could make a case for wrong being the opposite as well. Fine, have it your way."</p><p>Agent P stood over his nemesis, cracking his knuckles in a rather Buford-like manner. Doofenshmirtz saw the anger smoldering in the spy's eyes. He was lifting his arm for another strike, and Doofenshmirtz clamped his eyes shut to brace for the hit. A couple of seconds passed, but when he didn't feel anything, he opened his eyes just in time to see Agent P give a great heave and lift the School-Remove-Inator over his head.</p><p>"Oh no, he's going to crush me with that crate!" Doofenshmirtz cried, cringing again as Agent P chucked it over his head. But the -Inator arced over Doofenshmirtz and landed in the sandpit by the front door. Within seconds, it sank below the surface.</p><p>Realizing what Agent P had done, Doofenshmirtz said, appalled, "You came to destroy my -inator? Curse you, Perry the Platypus!" He shook his fist at the secret agent, who exited with the same abruptness as he had entered with.</p><hr/><p>"I could say 'no' to you," Buford announced.</p><p>It had totally killed the moment. Isabella was <em>right there</em>, holding Phineas in her arms, and Buford had to say it. Isabella reluctantly let go and glowered menacingly at Buford.</p><p>"What? I'm not going to right now, I'm just saying. Theoretically, I could do it. If I wanted to." Buford crossed his arms, trying to look unapologetic.</p><p>Isabella turned her nose up at that, directing her attention back to Phineas. He was looking a lot better than he had a few minutes ago. At least, some color had come back to his face. <em>Or was he blushing?</em> It was hard to tell. But his usual zest returned as he spoke.</p><p>"Thanks, Isabella, I needed that. You're absolutely right, we do need to figure out what's going on." Phineas brought a hand to his chin in thought. "Well, if things really are as bad as they sound, we're going to need all the help we can get. Let's go find Candace and Baljeet." Phineas arose, and Ferb and Isabella followed suit. When Buford remained seated, Phineas said, "Buford, I know where you stand on all this, and I can really sympathize, but will you please help? It's the right thing to do."</p><p>The bully crossed his arms and turned up his nose. "Sorry, not interested."</p><p>"There could be danger, I understand if you aren't up to the challenge."</p><p>"Don't try pulling the 'chicken card' on me, Dinner bell. It won't work."</p><p>"No hurt in asking."</p><p>"With me, there's always hurtin' something."</p><p>At that moment, Baljeet reentered the restaurant and hurried over to his friends. His eyes were wide with fright.</p><p>"What's the matter, Baljeet?" Isabella asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."</p><p>"What I have seen is worse," he answered. "We need to get going before <em>they</em> come here."</p><p>"Did someone try to hurt you?" Buford asked, concern suddenly showing up on his face. It looked out of place; he usually kept an uncaring expression. "You stay right here where it's safe; nobody's gonna hurt My Nerd but me!"</p><p>"I am unhurt, but they are coming this way! We need to get out of here!" Baljeet said frantically.</p><p>"Wait, why do we need to go? Who is coming?" Isabella coaxed him to expound.</p><p>Baljeet looked at her with big eyes, as if he still couldn't believe it himself. "Lots of people; lots of big scary people! They have started a riot!" He made no effort to keep his voice down, and other people in the restaurant heard him. Several rose from their seats to look for themselves.</p><p>Phineas asked, "I don't understand. What people? Just half an hour ago, everyone was having fun using the park facilities. What's happened?"</p><p>Baljeet said, "It is rather hard to explain, but the message from the Mayor has deeply upset everyone. It would be much easier if you took a look for yourselves."</p><p>The kids made for the door, and out of the corner of his eye, Phineas saw Buford stand to follow. Stopping and turning, he said, "You're coming with us after all?"</p><p>Buford menacingly replied, "Nobody messes with My Nerd. I'm coming to make sure he and the rest of you all are safe."</p><p>Satisfied, Phineas turned and led the way out the door. As soon as he stepped outside, he suddenly understood what had caused Baljeet's terror.</p><p>The happy atmosphere had eroded completely; the order and peace that had resided throughout the day had shattered into chaos. Laughter had been replaced by panic. The screams of thrill-riders had transformed into jeers and yells. Loud bangs and pops were coming from somewhere down the street; most of the people Phineas could see were running away from the direction of the noises.</p><p>"I told you that you would not like what you saw," Baljeet said.</p><p>Phineas was utterly perplexed. "What is going on?" he asked.</p><p>"It's definitely a riot," Buford said. "I know a riot when I see one."</p><p>"A riot?" Phineas responded. "Why are they rioting?"</p><p>"I do not know for certain," Baljeet answered.</p><p>Scanning in the direction the people were running from, Phineas immediately noticed a large group of rough-looking teenagers congregating in a plaza not far from them. His gut told him that was the epicenter of the commotion. "C'mon guys, let's go check out what's going on over there," he said to the others, who were just as struck by the panorama before them as he was.</p><p>"Phineas, we can't go down there, it looks unsafe!" Isabella cautioned.</p><p>The danger had become apparent to the other people inside the restaurant. They broke through the gang and joined the crowds in the streets, running from the noises as they slowly grew louder.</p><p>"Isabella is right," Baljeet testified after the customers had passed. "Whatever is going on, I do not want to be caught in the middle of it."</p><p>"But why is this happening? How did things go so wrong? An hour ago, people were as happy as can be, but now—" Phineas didn't even know how to finish the sentence. "I can't believe how bad this has become," he said, turning to face his friends. "Baljeet, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I see now why school is so important; it helps us keep order in our lives so that something like <em>this</em> doesn't happen." Phineas pointed over his shoulder. "I didn't mean to make you run off earlier."</p><p>"What are you talking about? You did not make me run off." Baljeet replied.</p><p>"I didn't?"</p><p>"No, it was the lemonade. It was too sour for me. Spicy curry, I can handle. But that sour drink was too much, so I left to get some regular water or something."</p><p>"Oh, okay. That makes me feel a lot better, knowing I didn't hurt your feelings," Phineas responded.</p><p>"Why do you think I let you live?" Buford jabbed a finger at Phineas' chest. "Nobody hurts My Nerd but me!"</p><p>"Okay, Buford, we get that." Isabella retorted. "You don't have to keep saying it."</p><p>"Not to worry; for someone with a refined mind such as mine, there is no offending nor taking offense, there is only reason," Baljeet said. "The one you should be worried about Candace. I did not see where she went, but she looked pretty upset when she ran off."</p><p>"Oh my gosh, Candace!" Phineas said. "We've got to find her! If she's in trouble because of something I said to her, I'd never be able to forgive myself! Okay, here's the plan, we'll split up and go look for Candace. Meet back here in half an hour, before things get too crazy. Isabella, Ferb, and I will look for her up here, Baljeet and Buford, you guys go look for her on the bottom level. Once we've found her, we'll think of a plan to solve this mess. Sound good?" They were all for it.</p><p>"Alright, then let's go!"</p><hr/><p>The teenage boy skirted the edges of the group, steering clear of the looters and fights. He took his time weaving through the volatile crowd. He blended in well enough, most of the people he passed were teenagers; but while he quietly crept along, the others hooted and howled as they went about causing mischief. The majority of them wore black clothing, multiple piercings and tattoos, and a general look of troublemaking. He was very used to being around this type of crowd. He picked up his pace.</p><p>It didn't take long before he had made his way to the center of the ruckus. He was standing in a plaza, crowded by the number of people surrounding him. They were gathering here, and he wanted to know why. A moment later, he found the answer.</p><p>"My friends, you have come," a voice rang out from above, loud and booming.</p><p>The boy looked up, as did the rest of the crowd, to see who had addressed them so. He saw a young man standing on the roof of a building overlooking the plaza. He wore all black leather and had a shaved head. When he spoke, it was as the roar of a lion, rolling like thunder over the ears of his listeners.</p><p>"I know you have all heard the news by now. We will not be going to school tomorrow!" The speaker shouted. The crowd cheered and hooted to his statement. "I said, we will NOT be going to school tomorrow!" The crowd erupted with noise, pleased that he wanted them to be rowdy.</p><p>He waited until they were finished before continuing. "I hate school. And I know you hate school. My friends, we may not know <em>who </em>has taken away the cause of our pain; but when the schools disappeared, I knew one thing: We were finally free!" More shouts rang up from his listeners.</p><p>"You know what I say? Let the government rot! They're not the boss of us! We didn't vote for them, why should we do what they say?" Again, the crowd exploded in agreement. "School's just a waste of time! They have made the decision to <em>suspend</em> school; but I say we should abolish it!" Blasts of noise rose to the sky as listeners shrieked and danced. "In fact, let's just stay on this ship forever! We will never stop partying, we will never do what we're told, and we will never leave!" The speaker punched the air in exhilaration, aroused by the cacophony that rallied to him. It was almost deafening.</p><p>The teenage boy slipped through the crowd to find a quiet place. He snuck into an empty building and locked himself in the boy's bathroom. Finally assured that he was alone, he brought his watch communicator to his mouth and whispered, "Carl, it's Monty. The riot isn't that bad yet; nobody has been hurt, and most of the punks are staying in the one section of the park. However, I have found out what they're planning. And what's worse, their leader is the son of one of the members of L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N."</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"If I were a teenage girl, where would I have gone?" Baljeet asked aloud as he and Buford walked down the street. It was much calmer down here than on the upper tier, but most of the people were heading towards the elevators in the center of the park.</p><p>"Dude, if anyone knew the answer to that question, we would probably understand a lot more about the universe than we do today," Buford sarcastically remarked.</p><p>"Hush! I need to concentrate when problem solving! Using my intellect is the best way to handle situations such as these."</p><p>"Well, don't waste your 'intellect' on the unsolvable. To us boys, a girl's mind is like a shape-shifting jigsaw puzzle. If you solve even a portion, the pieces are liable to alter themselves and you have to start all over again. It's a hopeless quest."</p><p>"Buford! Why must you make it sound so difficult? Girls' minds surely cannot be more complex than our own brain functions, they are just wired differently."</p><p>"Like how? Through a self-destruct button?"</p><p>"You are never going to get a girlfriend," Baljeet said hopelessly.</p><p>"I've already beat you to the punch, pal." Buford smirked.</p><p>"Okay, I do not even want to know."</p><p>"Too late. <em>Now, go home or I shall taunt you a second time!</em>" Buford quoted, mimicking a French accent.</p><p>Baljeet stopped in his tracks, a light bulb going off in his mind. "That is it! Candace was heading home! Why did I not think of it sooner? She is heading to the elevator!"</p><p>"How can you be so sure?" Buford asked.</p><p>"Because she said so when she left the restaurant! Remember? Hurry, we might still be able to catch her!" Baljeet said, and the two rushed off in the direction of the nearest elevator.</p><hr/><p>"Hurry up, guys!" Phineas said. "We need to find Candace soon!"</p><p>"Right behind you, Phineas!" Isabella called after him, as he had already broken into a jog. Ferb easily kept pace with them both with his long legs.</p><p>They paused to check every street they passed, scanning the crowds for a flash of bright, red-orange hair. Most of the people they saw were moving in the opposite direction, towards the elevators. The faces they passed had panic and uncertainty written on them. Within minutes the crowd had thinned immensely and their progress accelerated, allowing them to check every nook and cranny.</p><p>"This isn't working, we've looked everywhere!" Phineas finally said, stopping so the three could catch their breath.</p><p>"Maybe Baljeet and Buford are having better luck," Isabella consoled.</p><p>"I hope you're right," Phineas responded. "Let's see, we'll need to head back and regroup in about ten minutes. Can you think of anywhere else Candace might have gone?" he directed to the others. Both shook their heads. Everyone (except Ferb) wore a dejected expression on their face.</p><p>"Oh, how could I just let this happen?" Phineas asked himself, grabbing at his brilliant red locks of hair.</p><p>"It's going to be alright, Phineas." Isabella said, trying to keep him thinking positive. They were never out as long as Phineas still had hope; that was an important lesson she had learned from their crash on a deserted island earlier this summer, when they had chased the sunrise around the world in a high-speed jet. "Candace is very smart; she'll know how to stay out of trouble."</p><p>"If only you were so lucky," a voice behind Isabella said slyly. The kids turned to see three older boys and a girl, all dressed in black street clothes, approaching from a nearby building. The tallest boy, who led the band and was the one who had spoken, wore no sleeves to show off his muscular physique. One of the boys behind him wore a Mohawk and some necklaces, and had the thickest body shape; the third wore a dark baseball cap with the brim pointing backwards. The girl they were with was watching carefully, as if not sure whether she approved of what the boys she was hanging out with were doing, but she followed right behind them anyway.</p><p>"What do you mean by that?" Isabella bristled at them. The band of teenagers stopped just a few feet away from the kids. They were all at least a foot taller than Ferb.</p><p>"Oh, I think you know," the tall boy said. Looking down at them from above, he continued, "But don't worry, we're here to make your lives better."</p><p>Phineas stepped forward to put his body between them and his friends. "We don't need your help. We are just looking for someone, and then we are leaving." Casting his eyes about, he realized that the street was now empty. There was nobody they could call for help.</p><p>"Leaving?" The taller boy sneered. "Why would you want to leave? Down there, we have to do whatever grown-ups tell us to. But up here," he gestured to the empty street, "kids are in control. We are the ones who make the rules now! Right, fellas?" The two other boys snickered and each moved to one side of the kids, effectively blocking their escape. "Whatever we say goes!"</p><p>Phineas could feel Isabella and Ferb squeeze against his back, facing outward to watch the boys who had surrounded them. "What do you want?" Phineas asked, trying to sound brave for the others.</p><p>"We just want what's best for you. For all of us. We're going to stay at this park now that summer isn't going to end, away from our parents and our teachers, and we'll get to do whatever we want to. Think of it! No school and no rules! No bedtimes, never being grounded again, dessert whenever you like; it's all ours! Kids will live up here where the party never ends, and the grown-ups will stay away forever! And you are coming with us. Now we'll be your new family." The three boys each took a step closer. Phineas reached his arms back around Ferb and Isabella, as if trying to shield them from danger.</p><p>"Wait!" the girl that was with them said, and the three teenage boys stopped and looked at her. "I recognize these kids. They're the ones who were in the helicopter this morning, when this park opened! They're the ones who built it!"</p><p>The leader looked back at Phineas and said, "You're right! It is them! Well, isn't that swell? Our leader has been looking for you. He wants to know how to fly this thing so we can make our escape." He stooped down to bring his face right in front of Phineas'. "Guess this is our lucky day. Why don't you come show us what this ship's made of?"</p><p>Phineas looked at him defiantly and said, "I would never help you with something like that. This ship was made for one-day use only. It won't work the way you want it to."</p><p>The tall boy stared Phineas in the eye for a moment, then stood up. "Oh, I see. You want to sound tough in front of your friends. Is that it? Is she your <em>girlfriend?</em>" He mocked, nodding in Isabella's direction. The other boys snickered again. Phineas stood his ground, unblinking. "That's really cute, kid. Let's see if we can find a way to change your mind." The tall boy nodded to the boy with the Mohawk, who reached down and grabbed Isabella. She squealed and squirmed, but he pinned her tight against his body.</p><p>"Isabella!" Phineas called, reaching to stop him, but he was too late.</p><p>"Phineas! Help me!" she cried, before the boy clamped a hand over her mouth.</p><p>"Now, what do you say, kid?" The tall boy asked. "Either do what we say, or your <em>girlfriend</em> gets it!"</p><p>Phineas looked into Isabella's eyes. They were wide with fear and anger, but also pleading. He looked back at the boy in front of him, who was staring down with a fiendish smile. "What's it gonna be, kid?"</p><p>At that moment, a rock collided into the Mohawk's head, and the boy gasped in pain, letting go of Isabella. She landed and quickly delivered a vicious kick to his knee, dropping him instantly.</p><p>"What was—<em>ahh!</em>" The tall boy screamed as something green streaked past the kids and latched onto his bare arm with its jaws. He jumped back and tried to shake it off, but couldn't get the thing to release him.</p><p>"Help me get it off!" He yelled at the third boy, who rushed over and grabbed at it to pull. The green thing kicked the boy's hand, and he yelped and pulled back in pain.</p><p>"Ouch! It's got some kind of stinger on its heel!" He said, clutching his arm.</p><p>The tall boy continued to try to push the thing off, and it finally released its grip. Dropping to the ground, it landed on all fours.</p><p>"Perry!" Phineas said exuberantly.</p><p>"Let's get out of here!" the leader said, and he and the other teenagers turned and ran down the street, quickly scurrying out of sight. The one Isabella kicked had a noticeable limp.</p><p>"Perry, you saved us!" Phineas picked up the platypus and hugged him tightly. Perry chattered back with his usual noise.</p><p>"And who said platypuses don't do much?" Isabella said, wearing a gracious smile and scratching the pet on his head. Phineas put Perry down, and Ferb gave the animal a loving pat as well.</p><p>Phineas turned to Ferb and said, "Wow, Ferb, as always, you were cool as a cat under pressure. How'd you throw a rock at that guy's head without them noticing?"</p><p>Ferb replied, "Actually, I didn't."</p><p>"Huh, then where did it come from?" Phineas asked.</p><p>Before they could stop and think about it, Isabella said, "I don't know, but let's get back to somewhere safe before those jerks come back."</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Where are they?" Phineas was saying. "They should have been here fifteen minutes ago!"</p><p>By "they," he meant Baljeet and Buford. Phineas, Ferb, Isabella and Perry were waiting, hoping that the two had found Candace. It was midafternoon, they had found protection from the heat and the turmoil around them in the same restaurant they had been relaxing in only an hour ago. It had been vacated once the commotion began, so they were safe as they vigilantly watched through the window for any signs of both their friends and trouble.</p><p>"I know you're worried, Phineas, but they won't run into the same problems we did," Isabella said. "There aren't many people who would mess with Buford. They'll be here soon."</p><p>Her words turned out to be prophetic. Less than a minute later, Isabella squeaked with glee. "There they are!"</p><p>Phineas and Ferb jumped to the window to look. Sure enough, Baljeet and Buford were making their way to the restaurant. Phineas squinted through the blinds, trying to see, and exclaimed, "And they found Candace! Thank goodness!"</p><hr/><p>Mayor Doofenshmirtz hadn't told anybody he was resigning. He was waiting for an opportunity to sneak away unnoticed so he wouldn't have to face any more humiliation than he already had. However, the chief of police was back in his office at the moment, informing him of some disturbances going on aboard the hover-ship.</p><p>"Ever since that press conference, which I advised you not to hold, we have received a deluge of 9-1-1 calls from frightened citizens. Apparently there have been outbreaks of violence, but we aren't yet aware of what magnitude. The few officers we do have up there reported that most of the trouble is coming from teenagers who are reacting to the suspension of school."</p><p>The Mayor was only half listening; as far as he was concerned, it wasn't his problem anymore. "What are you planning to do about it?" he asked.</p><p>The Police Chief didn't hesitate. "With your permission, I want to send a task force up there to assume control of the situation. Non-lethal weapons only, of course. It shouldn't take long; it's just a bunch of snot-nosed kids."</p><p>If he weren't leaving, the Mayor would never let him do this; he would lose his supporters instantly. But the only thing Roger Doofenshmirtz wanted right now was to be alone. "Do whatever you have to," he said. The Police Chief turned and left, too happy to notice how easy it had been.</p><p>His office finally empty, Roger Doofensmirtz slowly rose and gave the room a final glance. He pulled his letter of resignation out and placed it carefully in the center of his desk before walking over to his bookshelf. Moving his hand across the top, which was well above eye level, he found the hidden switch and pressed it. Something behind the wall clicked, and the bookcase swung outward, revealing a dim tunnel. He then grabbed a small black and white photo of himself as a boy, smiling between his mother and father back in Gimmelstump. A young Heinz was seen standing to the side, dressed as a lawn gnome. Removing the frame and pocketing the picture, he stepped into the secret passage and replaced the bookshelf behind him.</p><hr/><p>"Over here!" Phineas yelled out the door, waving to his friends.</p><p>Baljeet, Buford, and Candace hurried to the restaurant and joined the others inside. Phineas was careful to lock the door after they entered. He turned and started to say, "I sure am glad you guys made—" but was swept into a big hug by Candace. She grabbed Ferb too, and together they shared a happy family reunion.</p><p>After she let go of him, Phineas said, "I don't understand, I thought you were mad at me?"</p><p>Candace looked down at him with a smile. "Yeah, well, I'm usually mad at you, but you're still my brothers. Once I heard what was going on back here, I had to make sure you two were safe."</p><p>"Well, we are now, thanks to Perry." He pointed to the platypus, which was lying on his stomach in the corner.</p><p>"Perry?" Candace asked.</p><p>"Yeah." Phineas quickly told them about how they were almost taken by some punks, but then Perry had come out of nowhere and scared them off. "So instead of finding you, we ended up finding Perry!" he finished.</p><p>"So it is true," Candace said thoughtfully.</p><p>"So what is true?" Isabella asked.</p><p>"I heard someone talking about some scary things going on while I was waiting in line to use the elevator. The lines were getting really long; I think that everyone was so scared they were trying to get off the ship. Anyway, I overheard a rumor that a biker gang or something was kidnapping children. It made me worried, so I decided I had better come back and find you."</p><p>"And that is when we found her," Baljeet added.</p><p>"Well, I don't know about a biker gang," Phineas said, "but that sounds like exactly what happened to us. The creeps we ran into told us they wanted to make this ship kids only, so that they wouldn't have to listen to grown-ups anymore. I think that's why they are kidnapping children, to separate the kids from the adults."</p><p>"Wait, hold on," Buford said. "Are you saying that this ship is gonna be Kiddie-land, and the city is gonna be Grown-Up's-ville?"</p><p>"I'm just going on a limb here, but that does sound like their plan." Phineas answered. "And even worse, they want to take control of the ship so their parents can't come back up and take them home."</p><p>"Phineas, you know they can't do that," Isabella said.</p><p>"Wait, why can't they?" Candace asked.</p><p>"Because the hover-tech we invented to make this ship float is powered by solar panels," Phineas explained. "We like to keep the stuff we build economically friendly. This park was only intended for one-time use, so once the sun goes down, the park will stop floating."</p><p>"Will it crash into the city?" Candace inquired further.</p><p>"Not as long as Ferb and I are there to steer it. We have a landing zone prepped along the highway to Sunbridge City, far away from any danger of crashing into something."</p><p>Candace looked like she'd just been smacked upside the head. "D-did you say—S-S-Sunbridge City?" she stuttered.</p><p>"Yeah, there's a wide open plain that's big enough to hold it. We figured it could stay there as an attraction to boost tourism. Plus, that way all our memories of this summer would be close by."</p><p>Candace thought back to when she had last heard that name. Her memory flashed back to that morning, when her mother was on the way out the door. '<em>I'm headed to Sunbridge City for the annual 'Famous Housewives' convention. I was elected as a delegate this year, since I was Lindana,'</em> her mother had told her.</p><p>In an instant, an idea formulated in Candace's head. She had one last chance to bust her brothers after all! Their mother would be driving down that very highway on her way home this evening, and when she saw a giant mechanical ship-park that hadn't been there that morning, Candace would finally convince her of what Phineas and Ferb had done, and she would have no choice but to believe her and they would finally be busted! She wanted to jump for joy right there as it all fit together perfectly. "Eee! We have to make sure this thing gets there by tonight!" she squealed.</p><p>"Yeah, that's what he just said," Buford remarked condescendingly.</p><p>"But we also have another problem," Baljeet spoke up. "There remains the fact that there is no school for us to attend tomorrow!"</p><p>"True," Phineas said, bringing his hand to his nonexistent chin in thought. It became noticeably quiet as everyone looked to Phineas, waiting for him to say something, expecting him to have the perfect plan. When he realized everyone was looking at him, he asked, "What are you all looking at me for?"</p><p>"Well," Isabella said sheepishly, "to put it bluntly, don't you have a plan?"</p><p>"Sorry guys," Phineas said, a little embarrassed. "I got nothing. Doesn't someone else have a plan?"</p><p>"There's nothing in the Fireside Girls handbook that discusses what to do when a building is missing," Isabella sighed in disappointment.</p><p>Candace said, "Um, I've got one, why don't you just <em>build</em> a new school? It would probably take you less than an hour, considering you once built a rocket ship in a single montage!"</p><p>"Nah," Phineas responded, "that would be too anticlimactic of an ending. Besides, all the schools are missing, so even rebuilding one wouldn't be enough. We have to find out <em>how</em> they disappeared, to fix the problem at its source."</p><p>"If only we could get down there and investigate, we might be able to find out what caused the schools to disappear," Baljeet said thoughtfully. "But that would mean leaving the ship, and then we might not be able to land her before sundown. How can we do both at once?"</p><p>"We'll have to split up again," Phineas answered. "Baljeet, what if we sent you down to the surface, do you think you would be able to solve the mystery of the disappearing schools?"</p><p>"You mean alone?" the smallest boy in the group nervously asked. "I am not sure. I do not possess the same talents as you and Ferb."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Phineas encouraged. "You're the smartest kid I know! I can't imagine a person better equipped to solve a mystery like this than Sherlock Holmes himself."</p><p>"And Buford can be your Watson," Ferb added.</p><p>"Well," Baljeet said, unable to hide how flattered he was, "I suppose it would be a good warm up before school starts."</p><p>"And it will start, believe me," Phineas confidently predicted.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"If we're going to be splitting up again, I want to stay in touch this time," Phineas said, "in case we run into any more trouble. There should be some hand-held radios in the emergency power shed."</p><p>"How are we going to get everybody off this thing?" Candace asked, thinking only about expediting the process of busting her brothers.</p><p>Phineas thought for a moment before answering. "From what you told me earlier, it sounds like most people are trying to get off right now. We should head to the elevators and make sure everyone gets down safely, including Baljeet and Buford. Then when the innocent people have made it to safety, we can deal with the ruffians who are trying to take over."</p><p>"Yeah, and then we are going to kick their butts!" Isabella said, still angry at the boys who had attacked Phineas, Ferb, and her.</p><p>"Ferb, can you bring Perry?" Phineas asked his brother, who answered with a nod. "Fortunately, the power shed is close to the elevators, so let's make like a pop-sickle stand and get the heck outta here."</p><p>Having made their plans, the group checked the windows to make sure the street was clear before setting a quick pace in the direction of the elevators. Nobody was willing to break the silence as they moved along. The park had been empty when they worked on building it, but the abandoned feeling that permeated now was very different. Occasionally someone would look over their shoulder to make sure they weren't being watched.</p><p>It took about fifteen minutes to arrive at the shed. Phineas went in and quickly grabbed a pair of walkie-talkies, making sure they had batteries before they moved on. Less than five minutes later, they started seeing people again; all heading in the same direction. More and more people were gathering, and finally the group was within view of the elevators. A massive crowd had assembled there. People everywhere were fighting to get off the ship.</p><p>"This could be a little harder than I thought," Phineas said, comprehending the magnitude of what they needed to accomplish. Ferb, anticipating his step-brother's need, pulled a bullhorn out from somewhere behind him and held it out to the red headed boy. "Thanks, Ferb," Phineas said. "You always know what to do." Then Phineas brought it to his mouth and began speaking to the crowd.</p><p>"Everyone, listen up, there is no need to panic. Please remain calm and form lines to the elevators." Phineas made his way through the ocean of people, organizing and ordering as he went. It took a few minutes, but soon the people started to get the idea and things began to run much smoother. As soon as he had control of the situation, Phineas brought Baljeet and Buford to the front of the line so they could get to work on investigating the missing schools. Ferb, Isabella and Candace helped keep the crowd calm and organized, and slowly, its size began to shrink.</p><hr/><p>"You have been an excellent minion," Doofenshmirtz said to his mind slave, the superintendent. "You have performed your tasks flawlessly, now there is one last thing that you must do."</p><p>"I'll do it for you, sir!" Norm the robot interrupted.</p><p>"Be quiet, Norm! Remember what happened the last time I asked you to do something? I asked you to bring me some ice, a simple task, and you brought me <em>lice</em> instead! I didn't even need ice, it was supposed to be a demonstration for Perry the Platypus, and yet here you come with a bucketful of bugs and then let them loose on my carpet! When I call the exterminator, I'm going to ask him to get rid of you too, because you <em>bug</em> me!"</p><p>If Norm had the ability to change his facial expression, it would have become very sad.</p><p>The three were whizzing through the air on Doofenshmirtz's hovercraft, one of many modes of transportation required by an aspiring evil scientist. As they flew, Doofenshmirtz noticed an influx of people coming from the nearby park. Apparently, the sky-ship was losing its popularity, and the people were returning to the city. <em>To be ruled by me,</em> he thought, an evil grin crossing his face. His plans were so near to completion, he could hardly contain his joy despite the mess that had become of his apartment. After he had finally finished cleaning the effects of the flood Perry the Platypus had unleashed, he was horrified when Norm's clumsiness released thousands of tiny creatures into his living room. Fortunately, they hadn't needed to stay and solve that problem, for the superintendent arrived shortly after bearing news of Roger's resignation. Doofenshmirtz had packed only what he needed to begin his reign, and they headed for City Hall to take over the Tri-State Area.</p><p>He was doing it! He was really, finally doing it! It was so delicious, his mind was now far from the infestation. He tried to imagine what Roger looked like right now, hiding in shame somewhere in the city. And Roger had no idea it was he, Heinz, his older brother, who had stripped him of his power. After all these years of coveting and scheming and grudge holding, he had finally accomplished what he had set his heart on so long ago. He savored the moment as the wind swept through his brown, unkempt hair.</p><p>Having forgotten his anger for his robot, Doofenshmirtz turned back to his puppet. "Once you have performed your last task, you will not remember any of this. You won't need to, because I will be ruler, and the entire Tri-State Area will do my bidding. But we will still be working together, for a long time, I think."</p><p>When they arrived at the city hall, Doofenshmirtz parked his hovercar near the entrance and the three walked in. To Doofensmirtz's pleasure, there were no guards, and they made their way freely to the lobby.</p><p>"It seems security has run a little thin around here," Doofenshmirtz commented. He knew where the Mayor's office was, and quickly led the way in that direction. Just as they reached out for the door handle, it swung open and Melanie appeared from the other side.</p><p>"Heinz?" she asked in surprise.</p><p>"Melanie?" Doofenshmirtz reacted.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" Melanie asked.</p><p>"I'm taking over my brother's place as ruler of the Tri-State Area."</p><p>"Oh," she replied. "That's very thoughtful of you, but that isn't quite how the system works here in America."</p><p>"That's okay, it's one of the new rules I'm going to change now that I'm dictator."</p><p>"Ha-ha, that's very cute, but seriously, I'm going to have to call security if you don't head back out." Melanie's tongue then slipped: "Or, at least, I would, if they weren't all out looking for Roger right now, leaving City Hall wide open to take-over."</p><p>Doofenshmirtz couldn't hide the evil grin on his face as he pulled his Do-Whatever-I-Say-Inator out from his lab coat pocket and zapped Melanie with it.</p><p>"Like I said, I'm going to be changing a few things around here. First of all, to ensure a smooth transition to my new reign, I want to meet with every head of department immediately. Title the memo as 'new management.'"</p><hr/><p>Once he had taken charge and organized efficient lines for the elevators, Phineas was surprised by how quickly the loads of people began to move. The crowd was much calmer now, but they had still run into problems with some parents. A few couldn't find their children and didn't know whether they had been kidnapped or willingly joined forces with the gang of punks that were taking over the park. But the majority of people had departed within an hour's time.</p><p>Ferb had gone to the central power grid to deactivate all the rides and attractions and to make sure there weren't any stragglers. By the time he returned, there were only a few loads of people left before they would be able to close the park and take care of the unruly teenagers. Candace and Isabella were assisting Phineas in crowd control, helping to keep the line moving a short distance away. Phineas was just starting to relax when someone he didn't recognize walked up to him.</p><p>"Excuse me, are you two the ones who built this park?"</p><p>Phineas looked at the one who addressed him, and saw a boy a couple of years older than himself. The boy was tall and wore a comfortable pair of jeans and a gray hoodie. He had a distinctively large square nose. "We are, I'm Phineas and this is my brother, Ferb."</p><p>"My name is Monty," the boy said, shaking hands with the two. "I was wondering what you were planning to do about the gang of hoodlums who disrupted your park earlier."</p><p>Phineas looked at Ferb before answering. "Well, I don't really know yet. I was hoping that if we just talked to them, we could get them to listen to us; but we haven't exactly thought of a plan yet, per se."</p><p>Just then, Candace and Isabella walked up to them. "Who're you?" Candace immediately directed at the stranger.</p><p>Phineas stepped up to speak. "Candace, this is Monty; Monty, this is my big sister Candace, and that's Isabella."</p><p>"Nice to meet you," Monty politely replied. Then, he noticed Isabella was holding a platypus in her arms. He almost raised his eyebrows in recognition, but stopped himself when Perry caught his eye briefly. "You have a—pet beaver?" he asked Isabella, remembering to hide Agent P's identity.</p><p>"No," Isabella answered, "I have a pet chihuahua named Pinky. This is Perry; he's Phineas and Ferb's pet platypus."</p><p>"A platypus, huh?" Monty continued. "That's an unusual species for a pet, isn't it?"</p><p>"Yes. Yes it is." As Isabella said that, Perry chirruped in acknowledgement.</p><p>"Cool. Well, the reason I wanted to speak to you is because I have some information you guys might need before you go meet those rowdy roughnecks who were causing trouble earlier today," Monty said to the group. "I've been watching them, and trust me; it's going to take more than a friendly conversation to convince them to stop."</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The events of the afternoon lingered on the boys' minds as they roamed the familiar streets near their homes. It had not been that long ago when they walked this path daily on their way to school each morning, but they hadn't spent much time here during the summer break. Now the schools were gone, and it was up to them to find out why. Afternoon was passing into evening, the yellow sun peering down to shine its light back onto the city from its trajectory beyond the western border of the sky-park. Inside Baljeet's ever working mind, he momentarily wondered if his friends had regained control of the ship yet, assuring its safe departure beyond city limits before nightfall.</p><p>As he and Buford turned the corner and approached the site of their old school, they found a gathering of onlookers already present to see for themselves what had happened. Bright yellow police lines had been placed to keep the public at a safe distance while a team of workers busied themselves looking for clues inside.</p><p>The two found a spot where they could watch what was happening. It was a strange feeling, being somewhere familiar when an important part of the scenery was so noticeably missing; like looking at your hand and not being able to find all four of your fingers. They stared at the empty space for a minute, trying to imagine what could have caused this. Then, one of the workers passed while carrying some important looking scientific equipment. It looked like he was packing things away, and Baljeet tried to get the man's attention.</p><p>"Sir? Sir!?" the small boy called, but to no avail.</p><p>"HEY YOU!" Buford shouted. "My friend has something he wants to say to you!"</p><p>Being addressed as such by an intimidating bully, the man walked over and said, "Yes? How can I help you?"</p><p>Baljeet asked, "Did you find out what happened here? Why is the school missing?"</p><p>Irritated, the man replied, "Look, I'm not here to answer questions. We're very busy here." He tried to walk away, but Buford cleared his throat menacingly and gave the man an icy stare. Rethinking, he put his equipment down and said, "Well, maybe I have a little time. Listen kid, you didn't hear this from me, but we ran every test we could think of, and found nothing. There are no traces of the school being moved or vaporized, it didn't turn transparent, it didn't spontaneously combust, we have no idea how it vanished. It didn't sink underground, it wasn't conveyed using concentrated lasers, there isn't any smoke or mirrors, it wasn't eaten by a plague of locusts; I think you get the point. Whatever happened here, we can't make anything of it. Anything else you want to know?" He looked from Baljeet to Buford, itching to leave.</p><p>"Is that why you are leaving? You are giving up because you couldn't determine the cause?" Baljeet inquired.</p><p>"Partially. We also just got a call from our superiors instructing us to abort; apparently the big whigs at City Hall aren't interested in what caused it anymore. Now, I gotta go, I've said too much already."</p><p>The man grabbed his things and walked off, not looking over his shoulder as he loaded it all into a van and drove off. The other workers were following suit, each packing their things and leaving.</p><p>"Wow, sounds like a real head-scratcher," Buford commented.</p><p>"There must be something they overlooked," Baljeet said.</p><p>"Maybe it was magic. Like when the sorcerer in Stumbleberry Finkbat IV banished the goblin king to the shadow lands of Orringet."</p><p>"Okay, first of all, there is no such thing as magic, another reason why the Space Adventure franchise is so much more realistic; and secondly, he did not banish him, he 'disapparationed' him. Completely different."</p><p>"Whatever. Nerd."</p><p>"You can call me that name all you want, but I will never consider that appellation to be derogatory."</p><p>"<em>But I will never consider that appellation to be derogatory,"</em> Buford echoed in a high pitched voice.</p><p>"Our difference in intellect would be apparent to anyone who happened to witness this conversation." When Buford mimicked that as well, Baljeet shook his head pitifully and turned back to the task at hand.</p><p>The last of the workers had left, and they had an unobstructed view of the grounds before them. Where there should have been a cement foundation, there was only earth bordered by grass and a parking lot on one side. However the school had been moved, it had been done with one clean splice, taking the whole structure intact. Baljeet had to admit, the sorcerer from Stumbleberry Finkbat would have been proud of this work.</p><p>That gave the young genius an idea. "You are right though, Buford. If I were to give a name to what happened here, disapparation is what comes to mind. The school as a whole has seemingly shifted from this plane to another. Let me think for a minute." Baljeet pulled an impressive array of items from his pocket, including his favorite calculator, paper and pencil, measuring tape, and a desk toy made of clacking steel balls. He held the measuring tape next to the swaying balls, punched long sequences into his calculator, and then inscribed Greek symbols in his note pad next to him; and then began the process all over again.</p><p>After a few minutes of watching, Buford stood beside him and asked, "What'cha doing?"</p><p>Baljeet gave an unimpressed sigh to acknowledge Buford's use of Isabella's trademark. "Very complex mathematical calculations that would be wasted were I to explain them to you," he said. "Let me put it this way. If you were to place a letter you received from some distant relative inside your blender along with a banana smoothie and mix it all together, would the letter still be there?"</p><p>Buford crossed his eyes as he thought it through. "Uh, is that a trick question?"</p><p>"No. The letter would be there still, it would just be beaten into millions of smoothie paper shreds. But the letter would still be there in full format, would you not agree?"</p><p>"Not if I drank the smoothie."</p><p>"You are missing the point. The information would all still be there, it would just be in a jumbled mess. If someone were to work their way backwards through the blending, reversing the exact circumstances of all the thermodynamic energy transferred throughout the process, it would be possible to bring back the letter unharmed, and you would be able to read it as before."</p><p>"Is that what happens when you get the flu and upchuck all the Chinese food you ate for dinner?" Buford asked.</p><p>Baljeet slapped his own forehead, realizing he would never get the idea across. "Forget I said anything. Let us just say that I am using math to figure out how the school was removed. You might have been closer to the truth than you realized with your inaccurate Finkie reference."</p><hr/><p>There were few enough people left that they could all make it in the next elevator, so Phineas and the group followed Monty to somewhere they could talk. The park was otherwise empty where they were, the anti-school gang had been nowhere to be seen since the kids had arrived within proximity of the elevators. They found a tree to shade them from the sun, and settled down to hear the teenage boy out.</p><p>"So you said you wanted to tell us something?" Phineas asked once everyone had found a seat on the grass.</p><p>Monty nodded. "Yes, but first, tell me what you understand of what's going on."</p><p>"Well, I guess it all started when the Mayor made that announcement about school," Phineas began. "You know, when it was suspended because the schools had all disappeared. We got talking about it, and before we knew what was going on, all the people were screaming and running about the park in terror."</p><p>"What else do you know?" Monty asked.</p><p>"We ran into a band of creeps," Isabella took over. "It was just Phineas, Ferb, and me, and they tried to force us to help them. We only got away because Perry bit one of the kids, and scared the rest of the bunch away."</p><p>"Wow," Monty said, trying to act surprised. "Sounds like you have a clever platypus."</p><p>"The cleverest," Phineas scratched the pet by his side proudly. "The guys who attacked us said they were taking over our park so they could get away from their parents. Is that why all those ruffians are doing this?" he asked.</p><p>"Partly," Monty said. "Is there anything else you know?"</p><p>Candace spoke up. "I heard they are kidnapping children to increase their numbers. I was talking to a mother who couldn't find her son. She said she couldn't find him anywhere, and didn't want to take the elevator until she found him." Her voice choked a little as she spoke, but her eyes remained firm and resolved.</p><p>There was a moment of somber silence before Monty spoke up. "So you know a bit, but there are some things you don't know."</p><p>The kids gathered around him sat up straighter, ready for him to speak. Monty didn't say anything immediately; he looked like he was organizing his thoughts. The kids watched the final park guests depart on the elevator, leaving the group to sit alone. Phineas got tired of waiting, he wanted answers.</p><p>"Alright, tell us what you know, Monty. Why are these guys trying to take over our park?" he asked.</p><p>Monty cleared his throat before he began. "The reason why they are doing this is because school got canceled."</p><p>Phineas didn't seem to think that was a good enough answer. "Hold on. What does school being canceled have to do with this? Why would that make them want to riot in the streets and destroy the park? You'd think they would just say, 'hey, we just got an extended summer, let's party.'"</p><p>Monty explained, "I know, it sounds a little extreme, but we aren't talking about regular kids like you and me. We like going to school, we like learning, we like making new friends; and even though school life can be rough, it makes memories you will never forget. These guys, however, are the ones that hate school. They think that it's just a way for adults to control and manipulate them; whether they blame the government, their teachers, or their parents, they just see it as others trying to make their lives as unhappy as possible.</p><p>"They don't want to learn about history or science or math or grammar. They want the freedom to do what they want, whenever they want. They don't understand that true freedom comes from learning. That it is education that opens the doorway to new opportunities. That it is knowledge that transforms the impossible into accomplishment."</p><p>"You're right!" Phineas said. Everyone turned to him and saw his eyes were wide with wonder. "Every amazing thing Ferb and I have done this summer, we did because we wanted to learn, build, and do something we never had before. We could never have done it without the things we learned in school!"</p><p>"Exactly," Monty said, even though he didn't comprehend Phineas' full meaning, or have any knowledge whatsoever of how these children had spent their summer. "Without learning, we'd still be stuck in the Middle Ages. But there are a lot of kids in the world who don't understand that. They are like Tom Sawyer, wanting to roam wild and free in the world, but afraid of the work it takes to make the world better. That is why this gang wants to live aboard this ship, they want to <em>make summer last forever</em>. And to make it worse, they have an evil scientist's son for their leader. As soon as the announcement for school to be canceled was made, he was the one who came up with this whole scheme; he is the one rallying all those kids to do this."</p><p>"That explains why they want to pilot this thing away from the city," Isabella pointed out. "Remember how those boys said they wanted to get away from all the adults? This is what they meant."</p><p>"Wait," Monty said, "did you say they wanted to pilot this thing, as in <em>fly it away?</em>"</p><p>"Yeah, they said they wanted it to be kids-only, so that grown-ups couldn't control them, and the boy that Perry bit specifically said they wanted to fly away to somewhere outside of adult influence," she explained.</p><p>"Now <em>that</em> I didn't know," Monty said, rubbing his chin. "Uh-oh, I should have known that was their plan. It all makes sense now." He saw the others look at him, wanting to understand what he meant by that. "Sorry, let me explain. I happen to know their leader; his father and my father are—well, let's just say we know each other," he backtracked, careful not to glance at Perry. "Anyways, if he wants to separate himself from the city, it means he is trying to become ruler of your ship. In other words, a dictator, the King, however you want to say it. It's what anyone who is in the business of evil tries to do. If he does that, he will enslave every kid who lives on this ship and force them to do his bidding forever." The kids all gasped in horror.</p><p>"How can we stop them?" Phineas asked.</p><p>"That's the other thing I wanted to tell you," Monty said. "We probably won't."</p><p>Everyone but Ferb upstarted to that. "We can't let them get away with this," Phineas yelled, displaying a rare moment of anger. "We didn't build this park so someone could use it to enslave every kid in the Tri-State Area, including me and my friends!"</p><p>"Calm down and listen for a minute!" Monty said authoritatively. "They aren't going to get away with this. It's what I wanted to tell you. I have learned that a large police force has been sent to assume control of the situation, and they'll probably be here any minute."</p><p>"How do you know that?" Isabella asked.</p><p>"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Monty said, half-joking. "No, seriously, I can't tell you how I know; you'll have to take my word for it. But once they get here, they'll round up all the hooligans and take them home for their parents and/or guardians to take care of them."</p><p>"I guess that makes it easier for us," Phineas quickly said.</p><p>"Why?" Monty asked. "Were you actually thinking of facing all those kids yourself? There are hundreds of them now, and most of them are bigger and stronger than you."</p><p>"Well, I wasn't planning to fight them all, if that's what you mean." Phineas replied. "But this is our park, which makes me feel obligated to do something about all this."</p><p>Monty was impressed with these children. "That's very brave of you, but you should really let the police handle this. Let's get ready for their arrival."</p><p>The conversation apparently over, everyone stood and stretched. Candace's mind was working on how this would fit into her plan of busting her brothers. "So," she asked Monty, "when the police get here, what are we going to do then? Are they just going to cart all the naughty kids away and let us have our park back?"</p><p>Before he could give her an answer, the elevator clicked into place not far from them, and the laser doors evaporated to reveal an armed team of officers staring at the kids. One of them held up a bullhorn similar to the one Phineas was using earlier and said gruffly, "Listen up, squirts, I want you to put your hands where I can see them!"</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Wow, I could really get used to this being 'in charge' thing," Doofenshmirtz stated. He beheld his freshly cleaned apartment, bug free and secret agent free. "Yes, now that I have underlings to do my bidding, I'll never have to clean up Perry the Platypus's—<em>or Norm's</em>—messes ever again." He smiled proudly upon all the servants he had been able to brainwash at City Hall—it was like having his own robot army to do his bidding. "You see, when your evil lair is a pig sty, it is really hard to invent new schemes," Doofenshmirtz rambled. "I am a firm believer that a clean room inspires evil thoughts."</p><p>Turning, he walked across the room to a small wooden crate sitting against the wall. "I must admit, I am quite pleased that you were able to salvage the School-Remove-Inator when we ripped out the quicksand pit trap. It gives me an idea for my next evil ploy. I'll change the settings so that it targets the City Hall building, but instead of just removing City Hall from this dimension like I did the schools, I think I can warp the dimensions to place it somewhere it would fit even better!"</p><p>Doofenshmirtz flipped a switch on the wall he stood by and the ceiling opened wide, exposing the room to the outside. Then he activated the School-Remove-Inator. As before, an antenna rose from the top and began to pulsate with energy. A swirling cloud of inter-dimensional mist rose above Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. The evil scientist pulled out some binoculars and looked in the direction of City Hall to see an identical swirl forming above the white building yonder. The positive and negative energies of the two swirls synced and together, they slowly began to descend.</p><p>As the swirl above City Hall overtook the roof of the white building, the portion touched by the portal disappeared. Simultaneously, the very same portion would form into existence above the swirl atop Doofenshmirtz's apartment. The matter connected to the southern pole of one cloud was being instantly transferred to the northern pole of the other. As the process continued, more of City Hall disappeared from its place in downtown and would reappear above Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. Almost all of the building had been relocated as the swirl sank ever lower. Finally, the process was complete, and City Hall sat snugly where the purple arched convertible roof had been moments before. The energy petered back into nothingness, and the –Inator idled to a stop.</p><p>"Haha! Now I don't have to move all my things to the office; in fact, I can rule the Tri-State Area from the comfort of my home!" Doofenshmirtz maniacally cackled.</p><hr/><p>"I did it!" Baljeet said triumphantly.</p><p>"No you didn't, the school is still gone," Buford reminded him.</p><p>"I know that; I meant I found out why the school vanished. It has been lifted through the fourth dimension."</p><p>"What? How does that make any sense?"</p><p>"It was your idea that made me think about it. When a wizard uses magic to make something disappear, like the goblin king in Stumbleberry Finkbat IV, he is really controlling the energy around them, literally lifting them out of this dimension into another one. The science behind it is tenable, but only in theory. I do not know how someone got it to work in real life."</p><p>"I'm pretty sure we've seen crazier stuff happen this summer."</p><p>"You are right, that is what overrides my natural instinct to throw this theory out as preposterous. But if Phineas and Ferb could do it, maybe someone else could, too."</p><p>"So, what now?" Buford asked.</p><p>"Now, we radio them and tell them what we found out."</p><p>"Right." Buford pulled the walkie-talkie Phineas had given them earlier out of his pocket. "Hope I didn't break it when I sat down."</p><p>Sighing, Baljeet commanded, "Just give me it."</p><p>Baljeet brought the piece to his mouth and spoke. "Phineas? Phineas? Can you hear me? This is Baljeet, we know what happened to the schools! Phineas, come in!" The two listened, but there was no answer.</p><p>"Why are they not answering?" the smaller boy asked.</p><p>"Maybe they got hungry," was Buford's reply. "Wait, what's that?" He pointed at a tall, purple building to the south. "I've never seen that building before."</p><p>Baljeet looked where the bully was pointing. The purple building was a forgettable one he usually overlooked, but it had a glimmer of white on top. Looking closer, he saw Roman columns and a white dome, the American Flag fluttering at the apex. "That is City Hall! How did it get on top of that building?"</p><p>Baljeet was an exceptionally bright kid; he figured it out instantly. "But of course! More warping of spacetime! Phineas, please answer! It is important!" he hailed again, but there was still no answer. "We cannot seem to get a hold of them!" Baljeet was starting to panic.</p><p>"That's too bad. We should go get some slushy dogs."</p><p>"No, we should go to that building. It is obviously where we will find out who is doing this," Baljeet said. "Phineas said he trusted us to solve this, and that is where the clues are leading. We must go to the purple skyscraper."</p><hr/><p>"You've got to let us go! We're not the bad guys, we built this park!" Phineas had forcefully told his captors upon hearing Baljeet's call. They took away his walkie-talkie and ignored his pleas.</p><p>"When you hear from my father, you are not going to like it!" Monty told the officers who had cuffed him.</p><p>The chief of police turned to an assistant and said, "By command of Emperor Doofenshmirtz, we are to take home all children found aboard this ship. Lieutenant, dispatch teams of four in all directions. Force all the targets into the center of the ship, where we can apprehend them all together. I want this operation concluded within one hour. Sunset is three hours away, make sure all the rugrats are home before dusk so that parents will know of Emperor Doofenshmirtz's quick, decisive action."</p><p>"What should we do with these kids?" the lieutenant asked, gesturing to Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Candace, Monty, and Perry.</p><p>"I believe I just told you," the chief said gruffly.</p><p>"You can't take us home!" Phineas interrupted. "We have to stay here at the park or the city will be in danger!"</p><p>The chief of police looked at Phineas for the first time since arriving. "Aren't you a little young to be building unauthorized thrill parks that float in the sky?" Before anyone else could, he answered for himself. "Yes. Yes you are. But your imagination will not be endangering the safety of others any longer; Emperor Doofenshmirtz has a special program prepared for his youth. And don't forget to take your platypus." With that, he gestured toward the elevator, and several guards surrounded the group and walked them to the platform.</p><p>"You're making a serious mistake!" was all Phineas could shout before walls formed and the elevator detached itself from the ship.</p><hr/><p>Carl the, until recently, unpaid intern watched as the Flynn-Fletcher family, Isabella, and Monty were escorted from the park. He wished he could help them, but knew he couldn't give away his hiding spot lest he be given the same treatment. After they left, he watched the remainder of the police force fan out in at least two dozen groups of four, spreading in all directions as they began their search for the ship's unruly occupants.</p><p>"All right, Carl, it's your chance to be the hero and prove your worth to the agency," he told himself. "Time to impress Major Monogram, to show him I am good for something besides picking up his dry cleaning." He pressed his glasses higher up his nose and turned to leave. He gave one glance over his shoulder as he turned the corner and accidentally bumped into something, causing him to fall over backwards.</p><p>"Freeze, police!" shouted a startled policeman.</p><p>"Oh, good going, I'll never be a field agent now," Carl muttered, looking up at the fully outfitted officer.</p><hr/><p>It was a party unlike any other. With the park all to themselves, and not a single adult anywhere in sight to tell them what to do, the remainder of the ship's occupants had begun a celebration worthy of the news that school had been suspended.</p><p>They were all of them school-age. There were plenty of younger children, elementary school age, who kept their heads down and stayed out of the way of the older kids. The majority, however, were teenagers. It wasn't just the punks that had rioted, either. Word had spread across social media that everyone who wanted to abolish school for good and have a place to go to be away from their parents, a place to go just to have fun, should come to this party. It wasn't just the "bad kids" who were there, anymore; it was everybody and anybody who didn't want to go to school, or who simply didn't want to follow any more rules in general, or even anyone who just liked to be where the party was. And they all brought their friends.</p><p>One person found herself still aloof among all the jubilation. It wasn't that Vanessa Doofenshmirtz hated parties, she just wasn't apt to showing much emotion. At least until her friends arrived. She sat on a cement step with a soda in one hand, listening to the deafening beat of the music that was being played everywhere while watching the crowds dance, sing, go on rides, and do everything else there was to do on Phineas and Ferb's ship.</p><p>Her goth friends arrived and took seats around her, including Johnny, who took a seat to her side. Vanessa recoiled when he moved to put an arm around her, and he dropped it.</p><p>"So, this party is supposed to go, like, forever?" one of her friends, Lacie, asked the rest.</p><p>"Haven't you heard the news?" said Dana, another one of the girls. "School's canceled, so everyone's celebrating."</p><p>"Good thing, too," added Birgitte. "I, like, left some jeans out in the sun to fade them, but they need a few more days before I can, like, wear them and everything."</p><p>Heather fake-coughed. "Is this a party or a fashion show?"</p><p>"Chill-lax. Now there's, like, plenty of time for both."</p><p>"So, do any of you guys, like, know when school is coming back?" inquired Lacie.</p><p>A pair of big, black combat boots appeared before the group, and everyone in the circle went quiet. "I do," said the bald-headed teen who was planted in them.</p><p>Vanessa cleared her throat. "Hey, Tommy," she greeted, although it came out sounding a little forced.</p><p>"Are you all having a—<em>pleasant evening?</em>"</p><p>They all nodded. "Yeah, sure. Uh-huh."</p><p>Tommy inclined his head in approval. "That's good. I was hoping you would find this place satisfactory."</p><p>"Satisfactory for what?"</p><p>The leader of the rebellion against school smiled menacingly. "For our new home. I see this park as a place of freedom, a place where we never have to listen to grown-ups or do what we're told. They can't make us go to school anymore—how can they? There are no more schools! So why should we have to do anything else they tell us, either? What if we just stay here? We won't have to!"</p><p>"But, what about our parents?" Dana asked.</p><p>"What, would you rather be home with your Mommy?" Tommy sneered.</p><p>"I—no."</p><p>Tommy turned to leave. "That's what I thought. It's better this way. And there ain't nobody who's gonna stop us."</p><hr/><p>The elevator touched the ground and the walls evaporated, exposing the grassy expanse of Danville Main Street Park. Many police cars had been parked alongside the street, more than Phineas had ever seen in one place before. The kids disembarked from the platform. "Keep moving," the cops escorting the group said, and they piled into the backseat of one of the nearest vehicles, with Ferb setting Perry on his lap. Monty was placed in a separate car, and they didn't see where he was taken.</p><p>The cops drove to Maple Street and walked Isabella to her house before taking Candace, Phineas, and Ferb to their home on the other side. When the cop knocked on the door, Lawrence answered attired in a muscle shirt and gym shorts and two bright white tube socks reaching up to the bottom of his kneecaps. He was drenched in sweat and carried a skinny dumbbell in one hand, but dropped it to the floor when he saw two cops standing behind his kids. "Oh my goodness, what is going on?" he asked.</p><p>"Sir, are these your children?" One of the cops asked authoritatively.</p><p>"Yes; what happened, officer?"</p><p>"They're busted. We found them aboard the sky-ship which was outlawed by Emperor Doofenshmirtz earlier today. We have brought them here to release into your custody."</p><p>"And who is Emperor Dufflesmith?" Lawrence inquired, not fully understanding.</p><p>"Emperor <em>Doofenshmirtz</em> is the new supreme ruler of the Tri-State Area, and don't you forget it."</p><p>"Very well, then. Kids, come inside. How can I thank you, officers?"</p><p>"By taking this." Lawrence was handed a pamphlet. "Emperor Doofenshmirtz has issued a new proclamation requiring all school aged children to attend this new institution. School will begin tomorrow; make sure your children are there." With that, the cops returned to their car and drove away.</p><p>"I should work out less often," Lawrence said as he looked over the pamphlet. The cover had a picture of a purple skyscraper, the words "Doofenshmirtz Educational Institution" inscribed in large, friendly letters on its façade.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was a reason Candace had always busted to her mom instead of her dad. This was not how she had envisioned busting her brothers in her head.</p><p>"You were brought home by the police! Do you know what goes through a parent's mind when he or she sees <em>them</em> standing with your children on the front porch?" Lawrence scolded the three of them. Not loudly, just stern.</p><p>"But Dad, we weren't doing anything wrong!" Phineas kept saying. "We were just trying to make the last day of summer the best day ever!"</p><p>"Well, you kids need to learn the distinguishing line between having fun and causing mischief."</p><p>A similar conversation was going on at Isabella's home.</p><p>"Isa, you gave me, your mother, such a fright. What were-a you doing for the police to be bringing you home so?"</p><p>"Mom, I was with Phineas and Ferb on the park they built. We didn't know of any emperor who had made it illegal to be there. There isn't even supposed to be an emperor in Danville!"</p><p>Isabella's mother muttered something in rapid Spanish before saying, "Oi vey, if those boys are getting in trouble, then I cannot be allowing you to play with them anymore."</p><p>"What? But they're my friends!" Isabella protested. "It wasn't their fault, we were just innocents caught in the crossfire!"</p><p>"I do not want you being around those boys anymore. Do not argue with me, or you will be grounded as well." Her mother cut off Isabella's remark with a tone of finality.</p><p>Isabella brought her hands to her face before running to her room and slamming the door behind her. The dark drops of tears glistened visibly on the floor outside her door.</p><p>At the Flynn-Fletcher's, Candace was disgusted by the injustice she was witnessing. "All three of you kids are grounded to your rooms until your mother gets back this evening. Then we will discuss what further punishments are to be given," Lawrence finished.</p><p>Phineas and Ferb were obediently trudging to the stairs, and Candace had no choice but to follow. As she reached her room and shut the door, she fought the urge to scream loudly. She buried her face in a pillow and let out some muffled noises. "No, no, no, this is all wrong! This isn't how I was supposed to bust the boys," she sobbed to herself. "Why do I feel so bad when this is what I've always wanted?"</p><p>Simmering in her thoughts, Candace tried to understand why her emotions were screaming at her. "Maybe Stacy will know what to do," she hoped, and dialed her friend's number.</p><p>It barely rang twice before Stacy answered. "Candace!" she shouted excitedly. It sounded like there was a lot of noise in the background. "Where are you? This party up here on your brothers' park is amazing! You gotta get up here so we can hang out!"</p><p>"I can't Stacy, I've been grounded."</p><p>"Whoa. Get caught throwing a wild party again?" Stacy teased.</p><p>"Actually, I finally busted my brothers, and we are all in deep doo-doo."</p><p>"You finally busted your brothers?" Stacy sounded shocked. "Are you pulling my leg?"</p><p>"No, Stacy, I really did it."</p><p>"What happened?"</p><p>"We were escorted home from my brother's park by the police. Dad's furious, says we can't come out of our rooms until tomorrow."</p><p>"Aha, went with the sacrificial bust method, huh? So, we get to hang out tomorrow?"</p><p>"Doubt it," Candace sighed sadly into her phone.</p><p>"Why not?"</p><p>"It's not going to be that simple," Candace said with a worried tone. "I don't know what's going on right now. School has been canceled, there's a giant floating metal object in the sky, my brothers have been busted, and I've been hearing weird things like that there's a new emperor ruling the city or something. Today has been so strange, I don't want to know what will happen tomorrow."</p><p>Stacy wondered why her best friend was acting like this. "Hang on," she said, before making her way to someplace more quiet. Then, as any good 'BFF' would do, she asked, "What's the matter?"</p><p>Candace looked at her fingers, wondering the same thing. "I don't know, but it just feels…bad. I don't know why."</p><p>"C'mon, Candace, loosen up! Vacation is still on, you shouldn't be sad when school gets canceled! Plus, you finally busted your brothers, isn't this like your dream come true?"</p><p>"I had a dream once where that did come true, and it didn't turn out so well then, either," Candace remembered with hint of irony.</p><p>"Okay, but at least summer is going to last a little longer. At least tell me you're happy about that," Stacy replied.</p><p>"I can't say that, either, Stacy. I was down there, I saw the actual schools—er, I mean, that the schools were actually gone! Summer might be back on for a little longer, but there is something seriously wrong about all this. There's a reason we're supposed to go to school, and not just spend the whole year sitting around doing nothing."</p><p>"Like what?" Stacy asked.</p><p>"I don't know, Stacy. I mean, what would you do if you didn't ever have to go to school?"</p><p>"Um, probably sleep, eat, hang out with cute boys, and go shopping."</p><p>"And would you find that a fulfilling life? Just doing that forever?"</p><p>"Yeah. We're teenagers, Candace. It's what we do."</p><p>"But that's just it. We think that's what we want, but when it finally comes true, sometimes we learn that we didn't really want that at all. <em>That's it!</em>" Candace gasped, realizing that the advice she was trying to give Stacy was actually meant for herself. Startled at her own revelation, she continued, "That's why I'm feeling so cruddy about finally busting my brothers! I didn't know what I really wanted!"</p><p>"Hmm, that doesn't really make sense to me," Stacy replied.</p><p>"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'be careful what you wish for'?"</p><p>"I just thought that meant you shouldn't leave loopholes in your wishes when you encounter magical genies."</p><p>"Well, I guess it could mean that too," Candace admitted.</p><p>After a short pause, Stacy asked, "Feeling better now?"</p><p>"A little. But there's still something I have to do, Stace. Thanks for just talking with me."</p><p>"Well, talking with you sometimes makes me feel like a psychiatrist, I ought to charge you $250 an hour." That made them both laugh; and so they ended their conversation.</p><p>Candace knew what she had to do now. Since she couldn't leave her room, she sent a text to her dad reading, 'let's talk.' A minute later the reply came, saying, 'come on down.' She crept down the stairs and found him seated on the couch with a towel to mop up his sweat.</p><p>"What is it, darling?" he asked. Lawrence looked at Candace, letting her know she had his full attention.</p><p>"Are you angry at us?" she asked sensitively.</p><p>"No, I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"Because I hate to see you kids failing to reach your potential. I want to see you accomplish great things, Candace. You and your brothers. The world has changed so much since when I was a lad. You will have many more opportunities to do good than my generation did. But it is also true that there are more opportunities than ever before to do evil. I don't want you choosing the wrong path."</p><p>"Dad, you've got to believe us! We've been good kids our whole lives! If anybody deserves punishment, it's me. Let Phineas and Ferb go! They <em>do</em> do amazing things, everyday! They aren't guilty of doing anything wrong. I am the one who has always tried to bust them, but they're really <em>good</em> kids. You're putting the city in danger by keeping them locked up right now."</p><p>"What are you saying?"</p><p>"If they aren't at their sky-park when the sun goes down, the park will crash into the city."</p><p>Just then, a hand whipped out from behind the sofa to cover Lawrence's nose. He crumpled instantly, unconscious.</p><p>"DAD!" Candace shrieked.</p><p>"Shh, it's okay, it's just me!" Monty jumped out from behind her father to stop Candace from making more noise.</p><p>"What did you do to him?" Candace yelled, her face reddening.</p><p>"I used a harmless mind-wiping spray. He'll wake up in twenty minutes or so, not remembering a thing that happened all day."</p><p>"Why? How'd you get into our house?" Candace said, still not trusting him.</p><p>"Stop asking so many questions!" he said. "I need you and your brothers' help. And as for how I got in," he said slyly, "Secret." <em>—Entrance,</em> he finished the thought in his head.</p><p>"Candace! Is everything okay?" Phineas shouted from upstairs. "Why are you yelling?"</p><p>"It's okay, Phineas!" Candace yelled back. She didn't want him to see what had transpired in the living room. "Stay in your room. I'm—just talking with Dad!"</p><p>"And by the way," Monty said, "what did you say about the park crashing into the city?"</p><p>"What were you saying about needing our help?" Candace replied.</p><p>"Touché. Bring me to your brothers and I'll tell you everything you need to know."</p><p>"Give me one reason why I should trust you." Candace said, crossing her arms.</p><p>"I'm one of the good guys. Trust me."</p><p>"Not good enough."</p><p>"I've also trained since I was small in many forms of martial arts and self-defense," he said, raising his arms to strike a ninja-like pose. "I have never hit a girl, but I know techniques where I won't have to."</p><p>Candace wasn't sure if that was meant to be a threat or not, but after about a second of holding the pose, Monty's serious face broke into a grin. Candace couldn't stop herself from snorting. "Okay, let's go see them."</p><p>She led the way up the stairs and banged the boys' door open.</p><p>"Hi, Candace," Phineas sighed, greeting his sister with considerably less than his usual gusto. He sat on his bed stroking Perry's fur, while Ferb was laying across his bed so that his head hung over the edge to face them upside-down.</p><p>"Good news, guys," Candace told them. "Dad said we aren't grounded anymore."</p><p>"Really?" Phineas asked.</p><p>"Yup," Candace lied, "I convinced him to let you leave in order to land your big metal park." They'd never know the difference, she reasoned, if she left out the part about an intruder, Monty, wiping their Dad's memory.</p><p>"The <em>Make Summer Last Forever?</em> That's great!" Phineas replied, as he and Ferb made to stand.</p><p>"Wait," Candace said, "before you get up, there's someone who wants to see you."</p><p>Monty appeared behind the doorframe and entered. "Hey, guys," he waved.</p><p>"Hi Monty!" Phineas said, with noticeably more enthusiasm than before. "I didn't know you knew where we lived!"</p><p>"Oh, well, it wasn't that hard to find," Monty replied, rubbing the back of his neck. Candace gave him a suspicious look. "Yellow book," he added, praying the others would buy it.</p><p>As if noticing his trouble gaining the girl's acceptance, Perry hopped off the bed to sniff Monty's sneakers. "Perry seems to really like you," Phineas pointed out.</p><p>"Well, you could say I'm pretty good with animals," Monty explained, picking the platypus up to cradle in his chest. Perry exposed his belly to be scratched.</p><p>Turning serious again, Monty looked up at the boys. "Phineas Flynn," he said, "Ferb Fletcher, I was impressed when I saw you two this morning with the helicopter and the sky-park." Monty put the platypus back down, and Perry scuttled away to lie down in the corner.</p><p>"I was impressed even more when we met earlier. I was watching you; your only concern was getting everyone off the ship as safely as possible," Monty continued. "And above all, I was impressed when even though nobody asked you to do so, you were willing to stand up to the bad guys who took over the ship." Monty looked both boys in the eye, back and forth, penetrating.</p><p>"It is because of this that I have come to you with a choice. This city is in grave danger, and we must act quickly if we are to save it. I need your help, Phineas and Ferb. Are you willing to fight the evil that is even now strengthening its hold on the city? It will be dangerous, but if we do not stand up now, then our future looks bleak. The choice is yours," Monty finished.</p><p>"Does this evil have anything to do with the schools that disappeared today?" Phineas asked.</p><p>"It does."</p><p>"Then we will!" Phineas instantly resounded.</p><p>"Oh no, you won't!" Candace said. "I am not letting you two go off and do something dangerous with him! We barely even know this guy!"</p><p>"But Candace, what about Baljeet and Buford?" Phineas protested. "They might have already found out what happened to the schools! Remember when the cops took my walkie–talkie away? Baljeet said he'd found something! We need to find them. Plus, we have to get back to the park before nightfall, or else something worse could happen!"</p><p>"Alright, I really need to know," Monty interrupted. "Is the floating park going to crash into the city?"</p><p>"We designed the hover-tech to be powered by solar panels," Phineas explained. "The park will only float for a little while after dusk. When its charge drains, it will no longer float; but we have a landing site ready for nightfall. The city is in no risk if we are there to bring it to a safe touchdown."</p><p>"But if you aren't, it will crash in downtown Danville." Monty realized. "Wow. The situation is more complicated than I thought." Monty pensively brought his hand to his chin.</p><p>"See, Candace? We have to do this!" Phineas said.</p><p>"I'm not saying you aren't going to, I'm saying that I'm coming with you!" Candace told them.</p><p>"Alright! We get to save the world!" Phineas shouted with glee. Ferb jumped up to high-five his brother.</p><p>"Well, not the whole world, but we are going to save the city," Monty corrected. "Good. If you're all in, then there are some things I must tell you before we start. What I'm about to tell you is classified government information, and you can't tell anyone else, even in your family or any of your friends. Understood?"</p><p>The siblings all nodded. Then, Phineas noticed something. "Hey, where's Perry?" he said. The corner they had seen Perry occupying a couple minutes ago was empty.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gleaming white in the afternoon sun, the summation of ideals and the legacy of a summer, she proudly floated high above the city. Like a sea-going ship, her name was stenciled in easily visible letters: the <em>Make Summer Last Forever.</em> Across the side of her northern face the red paint boldly declared exactly what her purpose was—what her builders hoped she would achieve. But dreamers though her creators were, never in even their wildest ones would they have guessed how literally her present occupants were taking this appellation.</p><p>Stacy believed this party was beginning to get a little excessive. No, that was an understatement. The teenagers surrounding her had danced and reveled their way into a sort of drunken fever. Chants of "No More School!" were breaking out quite regularly now, as were the loud crashing sounds made in the distance when a sect of partiers got a little too carried away and smashed something. More and more, the park was becoming trashed with glass shards from windows and TV screens that had been shattered, littered with cups and used cans of soda, and strewn about with bits of food and other odd pieces of junk for good measure. Once she even saw a small band of pyros setting a wooden table on fire.</p><p>It hadn't bothered her much at first. Stacy knew a good party always left a mess afterwards, that was just the nature of the beast. And when she got tired of tip-toeing over shattered glass or spilled juice, there was always the next park attraction and one of Phineas and Ferb's many amazing rides to take her mind off it. It was too bad Candace wasn't here to enjoy it with, but she'd decided to fill the BFF vacuum with her other friends while Candace waited out her grounding. Jenny, Olga, Chicago Joe, Coltraine, they were all here at this party as well, and she'd hung out with each of them already. But something about an unending party was exhausting.</p><p>The worn-out Stacy found a spot alone where she could rest her feet. Maybe this party wasn't all it was cooked up to be, she thought when a gaggle of boys a couple years younger than herself broke into <em>another</em> round of "No More School! No More School!" nearby. Still, if Candy was here, at least she'd have someone to be with, and it wouldn't be so bad. At that moment, Stacy overheard the name "Love Händel" and focused on where in the background din it came from.</p><p>"…The Concert Hall is right next to the Snow Cones Shack," somebody was telling her circle of friends. "That's where the Love Händel concert is gonna be."</p><p>"It starts in fifteen minutes, doesn't it?"</p><p>"Yeah, so you'd better hurry if you need to go to the bathroom first."</p><p>A Love Händel concert, Stacy mused. That should help take her mind off things, and it did sound pretty fun. She rested for another couple minutes and then headed to the Concert Hall.</p><p>It was filled near capacity by the time she arrived, exactly fashionably late. Oddly the show still hadn't started. Stacy weaved through the crowd, looking for a good place to enjoy the concert. She hadn't yet settled on one when she began to hear boos raise up from the crowd. Turning to see what was the matter, Stacy looked and saw that, instead of Love Händel taking the stage, there was a teenager in all black and a shorn head.</p><p>He looked fiercely over the crowd, puffed out his chest, and said, "You booin' me, wallaby?" Intimidated, the booers hushed.</p><p>"I love you, Tommy!" a girl somewhere screamed.</p><p>"Thanks, babe," Tommy said, and there were more than a few snickers.</p><p>"Look, I know you were expecting to see Love Händel," he told the rowdy audience, "but they ain't here. This is my ship, and what I say goes, and I say that no adults are allowed!"</p><p>The fickle throng whistled and cheered at that. Tommy held up his hands and waited for silence to continue.</p><p>"That's right. We have kicked off all the grown-ups on this entire ship. Now, it's just us, with nobody nowhere to tell us what to do! Unfortunately, that means that Love Händel is gone, too, but there are no exceptions! No adults are allowed on my ship! I don't care who you are or where you're from, if you're eighteen and older, you are done!"</p><p>Cheers rang through the auditorium once again, louder this time. Now that they were with him, the speaker let them cheer without truncation, and a few more choruses of "No More School! No More School! No More School!" echoed through the halls.</p><p>Stacy watched with mixed feelings. Something about all this just didn't feel right. Yet at the same time, she envied the thought of never having to write another essay or figure out another math problem in her life. While she struggled with her inner feelings, the roughneck on the stage went on.</p><p>"Here's the thing, guys. I want you to enjoy yourselves. I want you to have fun. I want you to be free. It doesn't make me happy that you don't get to hear a Love Händel concert today. So I'll tell you what we do have. We have a different band here to play for us, tonight. They're a personal favorite of mine, an indie heavy-metal band called <em>The Deaf Puppies Who Had Their Souls Ripped Out and Sold</em>, and—"</p><p>Even with a microphone, Stacy couldn't hear what this Tommy said next over the screams of pleasure that rang out. Though somehow she did manage to hear the same shrieking girl as before; "I love that band!"</p><p>"—And they're ready to blow the roof off this place," Tommy finally finished as soon as he could be heard. "But before they go, they wanted me to tell you guys to be as LOUD AS YOU CAN! This is MY ship, and the only rule besides there are no grown-ups is that THE PARTY NEVER STOPS! We're gonna stay up here forever, so stand up and welcome <em>THE DEAF PUPPIES WHO HAD THEIR SOULS RIPPED OUT AND SOLD!</em>"</p><p>The air exploded into noise and chants. "No More School! No More School! NO MORE SCHOOL!" Even Stacy found herself joining in on it, deciding the excitement was too contagious.</p><p>The Deaf Puppies led into their first song, and the lights went out to be replaced by strobe lights of many colors and varieties, which danced over the writhing human bodies. The face-painted lead singer screamed into the mic.</p><p>"<em>All this time I've cried to myself every night!<br/>I've fallen down the footsteps of life!<br/>My dreams grow dark, and I come home<br/>To find my fears left me alone.<br/>Some doors, they faced me, I looked away,<br/>Poverty's doorstep, every day!<br/>We sent the toothpaste on its way,<br/>I fought it! I fought it! I fought it!</em></p><p>
  <em>When we come crashing down,<br/>You know the time is right to send it packing!<br/>I stand, but kneeling, I'll be shown<br/>Can't stop hegemonies on your own!<br/>Can't stop hegemonies on your own!</em>
</p><p>Even though nobody had any idea what the lyrics meant, they spun and gyrated to the fullest extent their bodies could achieve. The electric guitar solo electrified the listeners to move at superhuman speeds that they maintained by a level of endurance only dancing frenzied teenagers could hope to manage. In short, it was a typical heavy-metal rock band concert.</p><p>
  <em>When the water buffalo shine the lights<br/>The ancient Greeks didn't know how to burn,<br/>Charlemagne is gonna play the tambourine<br/>While red fish dance in shores forgone.<br/>The stars fall down and the oceans rise<br/>The earth meets up with the cloudy skies<br/>And lightning ricochets across the night.<br/>You'll find out it's a glorious sight!</em>
</p><p>Stacy didn't even like heavy-metal that much, she just got caught up in the emotion of it all. Now she wondered how she could ever have thought a party that went on forever was a bad idea! It rocked! She danced and whooped just like the rest of them.</p><p>Outside the Concert Hall, the police squadron approached the noisy venue. Loud music could be heard coming from inside, attracting the force to converge on the concert. As one, they burst in and found the spectacle of hundreds of teenagers banging heads and flailing arms to the beat. It was so loud, nobody noticed the intruders arrive and begin hand-cuffing people in the back of the crowd.</p><p>The lead singer finally saw what was going on and stopped screaming into the microphone mid-sentence. His band noticed and gave each other questioning looks. "Stop, stop, stop," screamed the singer, although it was no longer the screamo type of scream, but the fearful type. "The cops are here! Everybody scram!"</p><p>It took several seconds of confusion for the words to register in the listeners. But the music had screeched to an ear-grating stop, and the wailing in the rear could now be heard. Now everyone began to see the cops toward the back of the room as they rounded up as many kids as they could reach. It suddenly became pure pandemonium as they all stampeded for the exit.</p><p>The police chased after, arresting every soul they caught. Within minutes, the only people still in the Concert Hall were those who were handcuffed. The rest of the partiers scattered across the park, like a herd of gazelle that had been attacked on the prairie by a pride of lions, with more being captured every minute. Everyone who was arrested was brought back to the Concert Hall to wait, while the police officers headed back out to bring in more of the rebellious partiers.</p><p>Stacy was being thronged on all sides as she escaped through the side doors. There was lots of pushing and shoving, and the bottleneck made progress agonizingly slow. Finally she squeezed her way through and sprinted to a nearby building for cover. It was a Hall of Mirrors, and Stacy weaved through the maze of reflections to hide with a group of girls maybe a little younger than her in a corner. It was dark inside here. Crouching with the others, she paused to catch her breath.</p><p>"What are we gonna do, you guys?" one girl asked the rest.</p><p>"I dunno, but my Mom's gonna kill me."</p><p>"Yeah, they're gonna catch us, and then they're gonna take us to jail! I'm too young to go to jail!"</p><p>"I'm scared!"</p><p>"Me too!"</p><p>"Well, they're gonna find us for sure, if you keep talking!" Stacy found herself rounding on the others. "Shush!"</p><p>Everyone stopped and listened, and sure enough, they heard the sound of boots somewhere in the building.</p><p>"They're coming for us," one of the other girls whispered. "Shouldn't we run?"</p><p>"Shh!"</p><p>Stacy peeked under a row of mirrors through a tiny gap near the floor. "I think I see one of them," she offered. "Maybe we can find a way to sneak around behind them."</p><p>Before anyone could react, however, the girl that kept talking lost control and bawled loudly. Everyone cringed as her wails rang out through the building, and Stacy facepalmed. One of the crying girl's friends slapped a hand over her mouth to silence her, but it was too late.</p><p>"Police, freeze!" shouted an officer with a flashlight as soon as he spotted them, leading a group of four other cops with him.</p><p>Stacy just sighed as she raised her hands up in surrender.</p><hr/><p>Like Stacy, many who were on board the ship found refuge in the attractions Phineas and Ferb's park offered. One group of young boys were running from two cops when they jumped on a roller coaster to keep away. The cops got in a car behind them and rode the coaster on their tails. As soon as the ride looped back to end where it began, the boys jumped out—exiting to their left, like the voice recording on the loud speaker commanded—as did the cops, and the chase continued on.</p><p>At one of the swimming pools, several kids jumped in and swam to the opposite bank of the pool. Some cops who had followed stopped at the water's edge.</p><p>"Aw, man!" one officer expressed. "How are we supposed to get them now? It's all wet!"</p><p>His partner rolled his eyes before shoving the hesitant man in, then jumped into the water himself to swim after them.</p><p>"Oh, great," complained the first officer, as he dumped water out of his cap. "Now my badge is gonna rust!"</p><p>Elsewhere in the park, five or six cops were trying to force open a locked door. Overhead, the kids locked inside had climbed onto the roof, and wielded slingshots for taking aim at the cops below with a small supply of water balloons. They let them fly, and <em>Splat! Splat! Splat!</em> The cops below were drenched.</p><p>"Yeah! All right!" The kids on the rooftop high fived, then ducked back out of sight to find someplace else to hide.</p><p>The biggest party in the history of Danville had officially been crashed. The battle for the <em>Make Summer Last Forever</em> had begun.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Agent P arrived in his lair, fedora donned. There wasn't another briefing scheduled for today, but he wanted to know why Major Monogram had sent Monty to enlist his family to battle Doofenshmirtz rather than Agent P himself.</p><p>As always, the Major faced him from the screen in front of him. "Ah, good evening, Agent P. I suspected you would come, good. That means my son Monty made it." Agent P sat in his red chair.</p><p>"I suppose you must be wondering why I have chosen to have Monty lead your host family in the battle against Doofenshmirtz. And, to be honest, I don't really know why myself. I mean, it would make infinitely more sense to send you in, but unfortunately there are policies about sending out the same Agent multiple times a day. Darn those pesky labor laws! But because of the extreme duress we are operating under today, I have been forced to exploit a loophole I once found and have been saving for an emergency like this. We can send you out again today if, and only if, your orders do not actually involve battling Doofenshmirtz yourself. Therefore, your mission is to watch over Monty and your family. Stay hidden, do not blow your cover, but you are authorized to follow them and keep them safe. We both know those children are the only ones now who can find a way to reverse everything Doofenshmirtz has done. You are our best agent, may this be your defining hour. Monogram out."</p><p>Agent P saluted and stood to prepare for one of his most important missions ever.</p><hr/><p>"I bet Perry just went to get a drink or something," Monty tried to focus the Flynn-Fletchers' attention away from the missing platypus. "As I was saying, you can't reveal the following information to anybody at all. Got it?"</p><p>The kids all nodded to him.</p><p>"Okay. Here's what's going on. Scattered throughout the city, there are evil scientists bent on world domination. My father is head of a secret government organization whose job it is to combat this sinister threat. Today's plot to make the schools disappear is a result of an invention by one of these evil scientists, who used the vanishing act as a distraction to seize power and become ruler of the Tri-State Area. He is the one they are referring to now as Emperor Doofenshmirtz."</p><p>"I heard the guards talking about him when they brought us home," Candace interrupted.</p><p>"That's right, they are under his control now. So are most of the other government officials. Basically, Doofenshmirtz used the people who are supposed protect the city as his pawns to take over for himself. He has also relocated City Hall to his evil lair; and from there he plans to rule the entire Tri-State Area with an iron fist."</p><p>Monty stopped to see how the siblings were absorbing this information. They were stunned to silence.</p><p>"There's more," Monty continued. "Have you seen this yet?" He held out a small pamphlet in front of them.</p><p>"The cops gave that to our Dad when they took us home," Phineas remembered, "but we didn't actually read what it said."</p><p>"Take a look," Monty handed the unfolded pamphlet to Phineas, and Ferb and Candace read it over his shoulder.</p><p>In the center was a colored photo of a man's face with a long, pointy nose and dreadful underbite. He had short, brown hair that splayed out in all directions, and had large circular eyes that stared up from the page. Surrounding the picture was some text, which read:</p><p>
  <em>Our new leader, Emperor Doofenshmirtz The Great, has unveiled a new plan to educate the children of the Tri-State Area. Due to the inadequate planning and incompetent attention provided by the previous mayor, Roger (may his name be ever shamed), every school in the city has been displaced to an unknown location. We cannot let his failure as ruler frustrate the present needs of our children and their children; and so it is that Emperor Doofenshmirtz is proud to introduce his new school for the future education and learning of his subjects: the Doofenshmirtz Educational Institution. Classes begin tomorrow, and all children who are of school age are required to attend.</em>
</p><p>The address, times, and age groups were given at the bottom.</p><p>"Well, that's good that school will be starting," Phineas said.</p><p>"No, it's bad," Monty told him. "Doofenshmirtz is trying to show the people how beneficial he is so that he can ensure they won't uprise against him. Then, given enough time, he will grow so powerful that he will become nearly impossible to overthrow. That is why we must act quickly, before he can build momentum."</p><p>"What should we do?" Phineas asked.</p><p>"There is only one way to defeat an evil scientist. That is to meet him in battle and defeat him in hand-to-hand combat, then to destroy his invention. Leave that job to me, none of you have had any training and I don't want one of you getting hurt. What I need your help with is finding a way to undo the twisted work of Doofenshmirtz's invention. You guys look a little young to know your way around theoretical science, but if you could build a giant floating theme park, that's good enough for me."</p><p>"That sounds like it's right up Ferb's and my alley," Phineas replied.</p><p>"What about me?" Candace asked. "What do you need me to do?"</p><p>"Do you have a driver's license?" Monty inquired.</p><p>"Not yet, just my driving permit."</p><p>"Good enough. Now that Doofenshmirtz is 'ruler,' old laws are no longer applicable, so at least until Doofenshmirtz says so, it is no longer illegal for you to drive without an adult in the vehicle anymore. Your job will be to get us there."</p><p>"Okay, we can take my Neddlington Nymph. Nice law-bending skills, by the way; you could make a good lawyer," Candace said, suddenly excited to be able to drive.</p><p>The four of them headed downstairs to the garage. On their way out, they crossed Lawrence, who told them as they passed, "I say, children, I must have slept all day, I can't remember a thing since going to bed last night. But somehow I found myself sleeping on the couch rather than in bed, it's very peculiar."</p><hr/><p>With the sun more than halfway through its descent in the western sky, the police officers cast long shadows as they swept through the <em>Make Summer Last Forever</em>, nabbing stray kids everywhere they went. Ever the police tightened their circle, seeking to contain the remaining occupants to the center of the park. The surgical precision of the operation was overwhelmingly thorough, and soon the number of kids and teenagers who had been arrested numbered in the hundreds.</p><p>"You will be taken to your parents," the chief of police explained to his captives. "By order of Emperor Doofenshmirtz, summer vacation is now over, and you will be sent to mandatory schooling and reform at the new Doofenshmirtz Educational Institution. There will be no more summer festivities, parties, or socials. Instead, we are setting a curfew for the rest of summer, during which all children are required to stay indoors. You will report tomorrow morning to Doofenshmirtz Educational Institution for instruction and are not allowed to do anything else whatsoever." He looked down a line of tied teenage prisoners. "Dismissed!"</p><p>The youngsters were taken in groups down the elevator to ground level. Then they were conveyed across the city to their several homes and turned over to their parents. All parents were instructed to send their children to D.E.I. for classes on the morrow, and the police escorts headed back to taxi away another shuttle of the rebellion. The system smoothly kept a steady flow in and out of the sky-park, keeping order and preventing any further uprising.</p><p>For the rest of the cops who weren't involved in ferrying the captured delinquents home, the battle for Phineas and Ferb's ship waged on. Since most of the younger children and casual partiers had been the easiest and therefore earliest to be captured, those who were still fighting were the older, more zealous teenagers. They weren't happy that their short lease on summer was over, and they did their best to make it as hard for the police as possible.</p><p>And they had found some of Phineas' and Ferb's creations. On the port side of the ship, a police task force radioed for help with a stampeding herd of mechanical bulls. Elsewhere, someone was riding around the starboard side inside a giant bowling ball to escape the cops. A few others who had similar ideas were making their escape in chariots running on souped-up lawnmower motors. However, the raging bulls were eventually diverted by a waving red flag, the bowling ball finally became wedged stuck between two buildings, and the chariots were ultimately halted by a dead end. The cops were then able to arrest those who had used the inventions just as they had all the others. The police were making progress, even though they had their hands full. And the number of partiers who were still at large dwindled to fewer and fewer.</p><hr/><p>"Hey you guys, look at this!"</p><p>Vanessa pointed at a strange, blue orb that was on display. They were hiding from the police in a sort of museum of the miscellaneous machines Phineas and Ferb had invented over the summer to break the laws of physics.</p><p>"What is it?" Johnny asked as he and the others came and looked at the exhibit.</p><p>Lacie looked at the sign above. "It says it's a 'molecular scrambler,' what does that mean?"</p><p>"It's a device that temporarily scrambles your molecules so you can pass through solid objects," declared Vanessa.</p><p>"How'd you know that?" asked Dana.</p><p>"It says it right there, under the display case."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>Vanessa peered at the ball-like object. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"</p><p>"Are you thinking you're going to change your mind about breaking up with me?" Johnny importuned.</p><p>"No-o. I'm thinking that we can use <em>this</em> to hide from the cops!" She reached out and picked up the scrambler, and an alarm went off. "Or, maybe not."</p><p>Almost unrealistically soon, a couple of officers arrived on the scene. "There they are! Get 'em!"</p><p>"Run!" Vanessa pushed her friends to get them going. "Oh, how does this stupid thing work?" She spun the sphere in her hands, looking for any sort of "on" button. They reached a dead end, and it became clear the device wasn't working when they stretched out their hands and felt the wall to be as solid as any wall should be.</p><p>"We're cornered," Heather whined. "Now what are we gonna do?"</p><p>"Freeze," shouted the officers as they rounded the corner and approached the small gang. "Police!"</p><p>Johnny shoved Vanessa, who happened to be the closest person to him, into the gap as a human offering. "Please, don't arrest me, take her instead!"</p><p>The shove caused Vanessa to stumble and accidentally compress the sphere down its oblong side, and she felt a weird current of energy engulf her body. The officer who reached out to arrest her passed clean through her body, to both their astonishment. Quickly, Vanessa angrily rounded on her ex-boyfriend.</p><p>"That's it, Johnny! We are <em>sooo</em> over! Whoa!" At that moment, without warning, Vanessa felt herself fall straight through the floor, reflexively clutching the molecular scrambler in her hands for dear life.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Doofenshmirtz Educational Institution," Baljeet read, his neck craning to see the letters high above them. "I thought I was familiar with every institution of learning in this city, but apparently I was wrong."</p><p>"I've been here before," Buford remarked.</p><p>"What? How could you have been to an education oriented facility and I have not?"</p><p>"Dunno. Maybe it's new."</p><p>"Well, whatever has happened to the schools, this place is behind it. Let us see what is inside."</p><p>The two boys walked in through the front door to a wide open lobby and headed for an elevator to their left. "It's on the top floor," Buford said.</p><p>"How do you know?" Baljeet asked.</p><p>"I told ya, I've been here before. And, that's where the white building is sitting—on top."</p><p>"Oh, of course, I should have known," Baljeet said. They pushed the button to take them up. As the doors to the elevator encased them, a brightly colored Neddlington Nymph pulled to the front of the building.</p><p>"This is the place," Monty told the others as they climbed out of the car and walked through the door. "We'll take the elevator, it's a long way up." Monty pushed the button to call the lift while the others caught him. It was a short wait until the doors opened, and the four climbed in. As they ascended, they listened to the elevator music playing softly in the background.</p><p>
  <em>{Bow chika bow-wow, that's what my baby says!<br/>Mow-mow-mow! And my heart starts pumping!}</em>
</p><p>An optimistic <em>ding!</em> chimed and the doors split open, revealing a hallway with two boys standing with confused looks. "Baljeet? Buford?" Phineas called.</p><p>The two turned to see Phineas, Ferb, Candace, and another teenage boy they didn't know, stepping out of the elevator they were just in a minute ago. "Phineas! How did you find us?" Baljeet asked, as he and Buford walked over to join the gang.</p><p>"I don't really know."</p><p>"Who are these guys?" Monty asked.</p><p>"A couple of dweebs," Candace muttered.</p><p>Phineas didn't seem to hear Candace's sarcastic remark. "These are our friends, Baljeet and Buford. You guys, this is Monty, we met him after sending you guys down to find out about the schools. Hey, that reminds me! What did you find out about the schools?" Phineas asked.</p><p>"They're gone," Buford reported succinctly.</p><p>"Right. Anything else?" Phineas asked again.</p><p>"I ran some calculations when we were looking around," Baljeet answered. "I discovered that although we cannot detect the schools palpably or visually, I did find that their gravitational influence as buildings is still present. That meant they were still there, or at least nearby. It took a lot of number crunching to be precise enough to know for sure. Then, Buford saw City Hall resting atop this purple building, and I concluded that someone inside this building is twisting the dimensions of space and time to alter the location of the buildings. It was then that I realized that the schools are sitting somewhere nearby, probably only inches away from their usual resting place. However, we cannot see them because they were somehow shifted through the fourth dimension. That is what happened to the schools!"</p><p>"I don't understand anything you just said, so it sounds exactly like the kind of prank Doofenshmirtz would pull," Monty said. "If that theory is correct, will you guys be able to reverse it?" he asked Phineas.</p><p>"I think we can," Phineas replied. "If the schools have been moved through the fourth dimension, we'll definitely need to grab some parts, but everything we need is aboard our park."</p><p>"Perfect. Then you guys go there, grab the parts you need, and land the ship while it still has power. While you do that, I'll handle Doofenshmirtz," Monty said.</p><p>"Alone? No way, we can help you!" Phineas protested.</p><p>"It'll be okay, I've trained for this my whole life. Remember, you were the ones who told me that your park will crash when the sun goes down," Monty pointed out, "and it's already getting late."</p><p>"Oh yeah, that's right," Phineas nodded. "Are you sure you can handle it?"</p><p>"Absolutely. Go!"</p><p>The group turned and headed back for the elevator. As it opened, they entered and turned back to say good-bye to Monty. He waved back until the doors closed, then turned to walk down the empty hallway. There were several doors on each side of the hall. One door stood out; white painted letters spelled the words <em>Heinz Doofenshmirtz: Your Leader</em> on its front.</p><p>"This one's it," Monty said, heading for the door. "Are you going to join me, Agent P?"</p><p>Agent P peeked around the plant he was hiding behind, amazed that Monty had seen him.</p><p>"C'mon, between both of us, Doofenshmirtz doesn't stand a chance."</p><hr/><p>"Oof!"</p><p>The form of Vanessa Doofenshmirtz materialized from out of the ceiling and landed on a sofa, which broke her fall. She released the molecular scrambler to brush her hair out of her face and push herself up. "Now where am I?" she asked aloud.</p><p>She had landed in some sort of food court, from the looks of things. There were chairs, tables, and couches taking up much of an open floor; and the court was, of course, deserted. It was something of a rest stop in the interior of the park, a place where people could go to get out of the sun, maybe grab a bite, and relax. Vanessa was just glad that there weren't any police here. Yet.</p><p>With that thought in mind, she decided it might be best to keep on moving. She bent over to pick up the molecular scrambler. "So you turn on and off by sliding in and out," she commented. "Well, you will probably come in handy, and I need to definitely stop talking to myself."</p><p>"I didn't mind," someone behind Vanessa said, making her jump. "I like the sound of your voice."</p><p>"Tommy?" The leader of the gang who had started the riots, Tommy, was leaning against a wall, watching her. She must have missed him when she first scanned the room to take in her surroundings. Tommy was average height, had wide shoulders and was on the stout side, and kept the hair on his head shaved bald. He was dressed in all black clothes and used a chain in place of a belt for his pants. Finally, he wore thick, black combat boots. "What are you doing here?" Vanessa asked.</p><p>"Looking for the schematics to this ship," he said. "Want to help?"</p><p>"Um, sure," Vanessa decided, before pacing over to where he stood. "But, aren't you worried about the cops finding you?"</p><p>"Nah." Tommy turned to lead her down a corridor. "They're staying on the top level. They have a perimeter that they're keeping the rest of us in, soon we'll be the only two left on this ship."</p><p>"How do you know that?"</p><p>"As soon as we find the schematics, I'll show you."</p><p>They walked some, and to keep away the awkward silence, Vanessa mentioned, "I'm Vanessa, by the way."</p><p>"I know who you are."</p><p>Her eyebrows went up. "Oh. Now I'm not so sure I like the fact that the leader of the <em>Jaguars</em> knows who I am."</p><p>Tommy waved a hand to dismiss her notion. "Don't sweat it. It's not because I'm the feared leader of one of the major gangs of the Tri-State Area that I know who you are," he assured her. "Actually, I know your father. He's one of the founders of LOVEMUFFIN, right?"</p><p>"Ugh, I like the sounds of you knowing me because of my dad even worse," Vanessa sounded.</p><p>"Yeah, evil scientists don't make for very good fathers."</p><p>"You can say that again." Vanessa paused. "So, does that mean…?"</p><p>"Yeah, my dad is also an evil scientist, and a member of LOVEMUFFIN. You know, he's the one who's always carrying around a microwave?" Vanessa's face told him she was drawing a blank. "You'd recognize him if you saw him. Ah, here we are." Tommy stopped at a door and inspected it. He extracted a high-tech looking device from his pocket and sent his thumbs whizzing across its buttons.</p><p>"What is that?" Vanessa asked.</p><p>Tommy didn't look up. "A little invention of my own. Guess you could say the talent runs in the family. I'm trying to hack into the security so I can access this door, but whoever built this place knows how to make a mean firewall."</p><p>Vanessa thought of Ferb, for some reason.</p><p>"There!" exclaimed Tommy, after a little more fiddling with his machine. A light flashed on the door's electronic keypad, and he reached for the handle. Suddenly, a second door made entirely of metal slid into place to reinforce the first one. The boy ran a hand over his shorn head disconcertedly. "No, I take it back. Whoever built this system knows how to make a <em>very</em> mean firewall."</p><hr/><p>Isabella lay curled up in a ball at the foot of her bed, a dozen or so used Kleenex tissues scattered around her lifeless body. She was wracked with shuddering chills as she again thought of the last thing her mother had told her: she wasn't allowed to see Phineas ever again. It had been the saddest moment of her life.</p><p>It had only happened a short while earlier that evening, but she felt like she had lain here in the fetal position for hours. Pinky had come in not long ago, sensing something was wrong, but she ignored his attempts to get her attention. He had given up and fallen asleep in his bed, waiting until she was ready to be comforted. But nothing could comfort Isabella now. Not when her whole world had been shattered.</p><p>"Oh, Phineas," Isabella whispered softly, "how could I lose you?" It required so much energy just to say that much that she spoke no more. She would have cried again, but her tear ducts were dry as a desert. And she didn't have enough strength left to cry, anyway. She had become a worn out shell, a feeble tabernacle for the love that would never know fulfillment. She shut her eyes against the pain, burying her face deeper into her arms.</p><p><em>Phineas isn't coming back,</em> the poor girl moped to herself. <em>He and the others are probably having some big adventure without me, finding the schools and playing on the sky-park, not even giving me a second thought. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.</em> Her insides twisted and clenched, her emotions growing harder and harder to bear.</p><p><em>He doesn't even like me</em>, a voice whispered somewhere in her mind. <em>He never even notices me. He is always more interested in his projects and inventions. He doesn't care about me.</em></p><p><em>That's not true!</em> Another voice contended. <em>He's the most caring person I've ever met!</em></p><p><em>But,</em> her thoughts struggled, <em>then why has he forgotten me so soon?</em> Rather than think about it, Isabella pulled her knees in tighter and tried to empty her mind of all thought. But that just made her feel worse, and she almost started to cry again.</p><p>It was at this moment when Isabella sank into the deepest, most wretched sorrow of her life. Heartbroken, exhausted, she would have shortly given in to melancholy slumber, had not her door opened and Gretchen walked in, denying Isabella her tenuous peace.</p><p>"Where have you been, fearless leader?" Gretchen asked. "Our troop has been waiting for you!"</p><p>Isabella didn't move. "I'm not up to doing any Fireside Girls stuff tonight," she said without even opening her eyes.</p><p>After all the things Gretchen knew had gone wrong today, she again saw something was wrong with her troop leader. She sat down on the bed and put a hand on Isabella's shoulder. "What's wrong? Have you been crying?" she asked, having just noticed the litter.</p><p>Isabella stirred at the touch, feeling the warmth of her friend's hand. "Today is the worst day of my life. My Mom has forbidden me from seeing Phineas ever again!" Isabella placed her head in Gretchen's lap and found a new reserve of tears. Gretchen reached for a fresh Kleenex and gently wiped the moisture from Isabella's cheeks.</p><p>After giving Isabella time to regain control, Gretchen asked, "Why would your mom do that?"</p><p>"Because the cops took us home from the park and convinced my Mom that Phineas and Ferb were doing something wrong when it really wasn't their fault, so she doesn't want me being around them anymore," Isabella was able to say without crying this time.</p><p>"Harsh," was all Gretchen could say. She rubbed Isabella's back as silence descended, broken only by Isabella's sniffs.</p><p>"The reason we were having a meeting," Gretchen said quietly, almost to herself, "was because some scary things have been happening. Somebody's trying to claim that they're emperor of the Tri-State Area. There are rumors that a lot of laws are being changed, so the girls met to talk about forming a resistance." Gretchen was only trying to explain her purpose for coming, but instantly realized Isabella was too distraught to care about anything right now. <em>Oh, that was insensitive to say! What was I thinking?</em></p><p>"What if we found a way to change your mom's mind?" Gretchen tried.</p><p>Isabella perked up at that. "You guys would do that for me?"</p><p>"Of course we would, you're our leader," Gretchen assured with a kind squeeze. "We'd do anything for you."</p><hr/><p>It was a tight jam for five people to fit in the car, but with Buford in the passenger seat, the three small boys in the back weren't too uncomfortably squashed. Candace drove carefully towards the Elevator to the Coolness located at Danville Main Street Park, cautious because she still wasn't completely confident in her driving capabilities. When they arrived at the park, they saw fewer police cars than had been there earlier, but still enough to make them uneasy. They still remembered the feeling of being on the cops' bad side. Slowly approaching the park, Candace wondered if the police would be happy to see her driving so many children with only a learner's permit.</p><p>As she feared, she was hailed by a nearby officer who was patrolling from the street. She braked to let him walk up and talk to her.</p><p>"Good evening, Missy," the officer spoke in a southern drawl. "For what reason would you be drivin' around this fine city when there happens to be a curfew in place for the rest of summer?"</p><p>"A curfew?" Candace asked. "I didn't know about any curfew."</p><p>"Yes, ma'am, Emperor Doofenshmirtz placed a curfew earlier today; no children are allowed to be outside for the duration of summer."</p><p>"That's terrible!" Phineas spoke up from the backseat. "Why would anyone want to put a curfew on summer? How would anybody have any fun?"</p><p>"That's the idea, m'boy," the officer said. "Fun is dangerous, Emperor Doofenshmirtz is doing this for your own protection. How else would he be such a wise and beneficial leader?"</p><p>"But what about creativity? What about building and learning? What about freedom and growth?" Phineas responded.</p><p>"Oh, there'll be plenty of opportunity for all that, when y'all attend his special school he has prepared for special children like you. Now, again, what's yer business drivin' about when there is a strict curfew?" he asked Candace once more.</p><p>"Um, we need to ride that lift to the sky-park?" Candace tried.</p><p>"I'm sorry ma'am, but that is forbidden. I'll have to ask you to exit the vehicle and come with me. I need to get you children home to where you belong."</p><p>Candace glanced at Phineas in her rear-view mirror, who shook his head. "Um, yeah, no, I really need to get aboard that ship," she said, only slightly more firmly.</p><p>The officer inserted both thumbs in his belt and said, "I told you, you aren't doin' that. Now please exit the vehicle or y'all will be in serious trouble."</p><p>"Step on it!" Phineas yelled in Candace's ear. "Get us away from here!" Candace stomped on the gas pedal and the car streaked down the street.</p><p>The cop reached for his radio. "I got a group a' kids who are driving a color-changing classic car eastbound from Main Street Park, yessir, they're drivin' very fast and dangerous, I need backup, over." He jumped into his car, turned on the flashers, and gave chase.</p><p>"He is following us!" Baljeet informed the others.</p><p>"I know! Let me concentrate!" Candace shouted over her shoulder, revving her engine to go faster. Soon, two more cop cars joined in the pursuit, their sirens wailing loudly.</p><p>"There are more!" Baljeet yelled back. "Go faster!"</p><p>"I'm trying!" Candace screamed. "I'm still not used to this driving thing!"</p><p>"They're getting closer!" Phineas warned. "They're gonna catch us!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, feet tucked almost under her and elbows propped up on her knees, and the molecular scrambler laying at her side, Vanessa waited. Tommy was still fighting the security, and he still hadn't told her why he wanted to get inside so badly. But at least he had been right about one thing. There had been no sign of the cops the whole time they'd been below deck. Which made sense, when she thought about it. The party to make summer last forever had been atop the ship, and if the police had blocked the ways to get inside, it made it a lot easier to arrest everyone on board. But that brought about other questions. Like, how did Tommy get below? How did he know the cops wouldn't find them down here? And why did he want to get inside that locked door?</p><p>"How's it looking on the hacking situation?" Vanessa asked.</p><p>Tommy ran a hand over his shorn head. "Think you can do any better?" he breathed, frustration showing all over his face.</p><p>"I believe I can," smirked Vanessa. She stood and stretched before grasping the molecular scrambler coolly and sliding it in to activate it. Then, she walked straight through the door. Tommy's jaw dropped. A moment later she peeked her head back through and looked at the leader of the rebellion against school. "Are you coming, or what?" Tommy nodded and jumped through after her.</p><p>For all the effort they went through to get past this door, Vanessa thought what was inside was very unimpressive. A bare white counter sat like an island in the middle of the room, which was itself smaller than her mother's walk-in shoe closet. (Granted, her mother did have a very large shoe closet.) On the walls surrounding the island were shelves and cabinets, which Tommy shuffled through earnestly.</p><p>"Here we are," he said, pulling a paper rolled up like a scroll off one of the shelves and laying it across the island countertop. Vanessa helped pin down two of the corners and scanned what was on the sheet.</p><p>"It's the blueprints to this park," Tommy explained. "I've been looking for these schematics all day. With these, we'll be able to take control of the ship, and fly it far away from here. At last, we'll be able to make summer truly last forever!"</p><p>"Uh-huh," Vanessa acknowledged, giving him a slightly suspicious look. "Do you, um, really think that will work?"</p><p>"Of course it will," Tommy replied as he bent over to inspect the details more closely. "This will show us where the control room is. From there, we can figure out how to steer this thing, and then—."</p><p>Vanessa interrupted him. "Aren't you forgetting something?"</p><p>"Oh, you're right!" Tommy agreed. "We should also find out how to access the retroflective camouflage panels. If we can activate those, then we'll be able to hide forever. I wonder if they're also undetectable by radar."</p><p>"No, not that," Vanessa asserted. "I'm talking about your plan itself."</p><p>Tommy looked up. "What about it?" His cold stare reminded Vanessa that she was talking to the leader of a gang, and didn't like having his plans second-guessed.</p><p>"Well, for one, there's the cops. They're taking everyone. Summer is over—this party is over. What's the point of going on like this?"</p><p>Sighing, Tommy rolled the schematics back up. "Alright, yes, the cops were a setback. My party wasn't supposed to end that way; it wasn't supposed to end at all. I hoped to have already found these blueprints before anybody started messing with my plans, so we could simply fly away. Then nobody—no grown-ups, no teachers, no parents—could stop our summer from lasting forever." While he spoke, he unlocked the door they had phased through and swung it open, then indicated for Vanessa to follow. Once they had closed the door behind them and were walking down the hallway, he continued.</p><p>"But, as you pointed out, the cops are here. Nothing we can do about that. Once they round everybody up, load them off, and take them away, we'll have the ship to ourselves, Vanessa. We can still do this. We can still make summer last forever."</p><p>"You mean, you wanted this to happen? You let the cops arrest everyone as a diversion so you could take control of the ship!"</p><p>"I didn't want <em>this</em> to happen! I wanted every kid in the Tri-State Area to have the chance for an eternal summer! And there's still time! All we have to do is get to the control center of this ship. After we have control, then we can think of a way to save our friends from the cops. We can find a way to rescue them. Then we'll make our getaway on this ship, and we'll be free, forever!" He stopped and placed a hand on Vanessa's shoulder to stop her, too.</p><p>"I need your help to do this," Tommy said. "I need you. We can do this, together." He looked into her eyes. "Will you help me?"</p><p>For a moment, staring down at the molecular scrambler she was still carrying, the goth girl hesitated. Then, with a sudden twinkle in her eye, she returned his look. "Yes."</p><hr/><p>Officer Lulu "Busting" Jones scanned the street for any signs of movement. "Officer Jones, report!" hailed her walkie-talkie.</p><p>"Quadrant 16 is silent," she answered. "It's all clear, let's tighten the perimeter. Wait…"</p><p>Just then, a boy and a girl, both teenage and wearing all black, came into view fifty yards away. The boy, who was bald, saw Officer Jones, and the pair of them turned tail and ran.</p><p>The ex-TV reporter dashed after them. "I see a boy and a girl, in all black, and am in pursuit, over!" She saw the two turn a corner and made a bee-line for it. Rounding the corner, Officer Jones stopped dead in her tracks.</p><p>It was a dead end, and she could have sworn she saw the brown hair of the girl phase straight through the wall.</p><p>"Officer Jones, have you maintained a visual on the suspects?" the radio crackled.</p><p>"Negative, I repeat, negative! The suspects have vanished! I don't know how, but somehow, they walked through a wall!"</p><p>"They <em>walked through a wall?</em>"</p><p>"Affirmative."</p><p>"Oh, there she goes again," another voice on the radio said.</p><p>"That Officer Jones for you…" said another.</p><p>"It's true!" she repeated. "I saw it with my own two eyes!"</p><p>"Yeah, just like that time the street light at the corner of Ross and Twelfth changed colors to blue and white."</p><p>"Or that time four octogenarians got attacked by a flock of 'obese butterflies' at the park."</p><p>"Honestly. If anyone ever needed to take to heart the story of the little boy who cried wolf…"</p><p>Lulu "Busting" Jones let her head droop in shame.</p><hr/><p>"It's time to make Doofenshmirtz pay for what he's done today," Monty said. Agent P nodded and readjusted his fedora, ready for battle. Monty opened the door and they stepped into Doofenshmirtz's apartment. The green and purple hues that usually decorated the room had been replaced by white light, the color of the City Hall building that had now settled where the roof used to be. But the more noticeable change was the wide space in front of them. There was no furniture, no electronic equipment, only a vast, empty lobby.</p><p>Monty had assisted Agent P at Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated once before, so he knew this was not the usual layout for this evil lair. He looked at Agent P, who shrugged back; apparently he didn't know what was going on either. The two proceeded forward, checking every step for booby traps. They quickly realized nobody was on this floor. Agent P was stumped by this, Doofenshmirtz only rarely left his building. Then Monty pointed out some stairs, and he understood. Doofenshmirtz had already moved in to his new office in the City Hall building and had left his downstairs empty. They climbed upward in search of the evil scientist.</p><p>They reached the top and went down the hall. A couple of Doofenshmirtz's mind slaves passed by. Monty thought they'd be stopped by one, but each moved purposefully on, occupied only by their orders from Doofenshmirtz. Agent P led the way to the executive office and knocked at the door. "Come in," answered a relatively high-pitched voice for a man, and they did so.</p><p>Doofenshmirtz was sitting behind a large desk on the opposite side of the room. "Ah, Perry the Platypus, I see you brought a friend. Wait, how come he's not an animal?" Doofenshmirtz asked, pointing at Monty.</p><p>"Doctor Doofenshmirtz, you're under arrest for attempting to overthrow the city, for causing all the schools in the city to disappear, and for numerous other offenses," Monty informed him.</p><p>"By whose authority? Yours? You're not an agent, you aren't even wearing a hat!" Doofenshmirtz replied.</p><p>"No, but he is," Monty gestured to Agent P.</p><p>"He might be an agent, but he can't arrest me if he's under my control!" Suddenly Doofenshmirtz reached into his lab coat, pulled out his Do-Whatever-I-Say-Inator and fired it at Agent P.</p><p>Quickly, Agent P ducked to dodge the blast, and as he did so, he heard Monty scream, "Look out!" and jump in the way to absorb the ray, attempting to protect the platypus.</p><p>"Aha!" Doofenshmirtz said with glee. "Foolish boy, didn't he realize I can never manage to hit you with my -Inators, Perry the Platypus?" Agent P looked to see Monty lying prostrate on the ground. A look of horror crossed the secret agent's face as he realized he had let pain befall the Major's son.</p><p>"What's the matter, Perry the Platypus? Are you frightened by the power I wield in my hand? By how I plan to unleash it upon the Tri-State Area?"</p><p>Agent P glared at Doofenshmirtz as he growled angrily. "Grdrdrdrdrdrd!"</p><p>"Oh, but you are right! I haven't told you the final step in my thus far successful plan," Doofenshmirtz mocked. "You see, Perry the Platypus, after I got rid of my brother, it was a cinch to seize power using this." Doofenshmirtz indicated the Do-Whatever-I-Say-Inator, placing it down before him on his desk. "But taking over requires more than holding the reigns in your hands, you also must control everyone else into not wanting to hold the reigns themselves. That is why the final step of my plan is so genius. But I could not have done it without my wonderful helper. Mr. President, come out!" Doofenshmirtz called.</p><p>Dressed in a lab coat as well, Donald Fergusson stepped into the room from a side door. "He's not really the president, I just like calling him that for some reason," Doofenshmirtz explained. "He actually used to work as the superintendent, giving him considerable knowledge in education and schooling. Together, he and I came up with a plan to remove Roger from office by destroying every school in the Tri-State Area! It was simple; once the schools were gone, there would be nowhere for the children to go when school started. It would humiliate my brother into resigning, and just like that, I could take his place. But you already knew that, didn't you? The final part in my genius plan is to look like the hero Roger was. I am even now presenting my building as the only school in the Tri-State Area: I call it Doofenshmirtz Educational Institution. I charitably donate my building to the needs of the city, school children come to be taught by me and Mr. President, yada-yada, and BOOM! Everyone in the city believes I have done a good deed, cementing my position as ruler of the Tri-State Area! Only when it is too late will they realize that I plan to make them all serve me! Ahahaha hahahaha!" Doofenshmirtz threws his hand in the air, his maniacal laugh resounding uncontrollably.</p><p>"But it doesn't end there, Perry the Platypus. It is only the beginning. Here's what I bet you didn't know. My institution of learning will be unlike any on this planet! Here I will indoctrinate all the children to serve me! I will plant in their minds the desire to be my slaves, to know nothing but servitude. And then when they go home and their parents asked them what they learned in school today, they will say, 'we learned to serve our leader, Heinz Doofenshmirtz, because he is such a great and evil ruler!' And then what will their parents say to that? 'Oh, Emperor Doofenshmirtz is truly magnificent and wunderbar, we should be his underlings for the rest of our subjugated lives!' And in one fell swoop, I will have achieved total domination! Everyone will want to serve me, and I won't even have to go around one by one using some -Inator to control all their feeble minds. I'll be unstoppable!" Doofenshmirtz's face bore a cartoonishly wicked grin as he watched Agent P's horrified reaction. "In fact, my evil scheme has worked so well, I think I should try using it on an even bigger scale! Maybe the next target for my School-Remove-Inator will be the White House or even UN Headquarters!"</p><p>Still laying on the floor, Monty grunted and moved a little.</p><p>"So, now it all comes to this. It's your last chance to defeat me, Perry the Platypus. Smite me, thwart my plans. End this standoff!" Doofenshmirtz watched his nemesis unblinkingly, waiting for him to make a move. Agent P stared right back. The atmosphere charged with intensity as each tried burning a hole in the other's face with only their stares.</p><p>Agent P sprang into action. He leapt for Doofenshmirtz, extending his leg for a powerful kick.</p><p>"Stop him, my mind slave!" Doofenshmirtz ordered.</p><p>Before Agent P could realize what had just happened, Monty stood on the spot and caught Agent P by nape of the neck. He twisted and hurled the platypus at the wall behind him. Agent P slammed hard against it. Landing uneasily, he shook his head and looked up to see Monty now under Doofenshmirtz's control.</p><p>"Stand up, Perry the Platypus! You'll have to get through Monogram's kid if you want a shot at me!" Doofenshmirtz taunted.</p><hr/><p>Candace urged her Neddlington Nymph onward tailed by several police cars, sirens wailing and lights blaring. "Does everybody have their seat belt on?" she asked the rest of the boys in the car. "This is gonna be ugly."</p><p>Candace slammed on the brakes and hit a right turn at high speed. She hoped to surprise the cops and stretch her lead, but to her dismay, they seemed to expect it and made the turn right behind her. "Oh no, you di'n't!" she said, flooring the gas pedal again. They lurched forward, but their pursuers held formation as they steadily gained more ground.</p><p>"We have too much weight!" Baljeet said. "Buford, you are slowing us down!"</p><p>"What?" The bully cried back. "Don't try pinning this on me! Why don't you think of something, Mr. Smarty—woa!" Buford was cut off as Candace took a left turn even sharper than the one before.</p><p>"Ugh, don't do that again," Buford said, looking squeamish.</p><p>"If you're gonna throw up, lean out the window to do it!" Candace warned.</p><p>"Don't worry, we Van Stomms pride ourselves on having iron stomachs," Buford grimaced.</p><p>"Candace?" Phineas exclaimed.</p><p>"Not now, Phineas! Can't you see I'm trying to drive!" Candace retorted.</p><p>The street they were on was wide enough that there was space to get some real speed. Candace pushed the car to go faster and faster, and they started to watch the cops slowly fall behind.</p><p>"You're doing it, they're giving up!" Buford informed them, head craned around to watch their tail.</p><p>"No they aren't," said Candace, pointing ahead. "They're setting a road block up ahead. We're trapped."</p><p>Everyone else turned in their seat to look forward. Candace was right; a huddle of cop cars was waiting a few hundred yards up the road. Candace had no choice but to slow down as they drew closer, finally stopping a short distance away from the blockade. Cautiously, the cars that were chasing them pulled up behind, closing off all exits. Candace slammed the horn in frustration.</p><p>"Candace?" Phineas tried again.</p><p>"What, Phineas?" Candace yelled back, irritated.</p><p>"I was trying to tell you earlier, Ferb and I installed a rocket engine when we helped Dad fix your car! Remember? We can fly!"</p><p>Candace released the horn. "What did you say?"</p><p>"Remember the little red button we told you about? Push it!"</p><p>Candace looked down at the cup-holder beside her seat, and saw the button Phineas was talking about. She instantly reached down with her finger and jabbed it. The car began vibrating. First the wheels folded in like an airplane's landing gear, the engine throbbed and the exhaust pipe transformed into a huge fuselage, which started blasting fuel like a fireball. It roared louder and louder, and finally the steering column dislodged to allow for vertical as well as horizontal steering. "Phineas, if we weren't in a hurry, you guys would be so busted! I can't believe this thing has sat in the garage for a whole month!" Candace remarked, despite not being able to hide the grin on her face at how cool it was.</p><p>"What are you waiting for? Bust us out of here now!" Phineas replied, not understanding what she had meant by her use of the word 'bust.'</p><p>Candace pulled up on the steering column and the car rose into the air. Seeing the looks of disbelief on the faces of the officers below caused her to cackle zanily. Leaning over the door to see the cops below, she called out loudly, "Candace Flynn is out. PEACE!" She stuck out her two fingers in a "V" symbol, and with that, the rocket engine kicked in with a deafening blast, shooting the car forward like a meteor. They streaked above the skyline, soaring above the long shadows cast by the buildings in the setting sun.</p><p>"To the sky-ship!" they all cheered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This was it. Having found the control room to Phineas and Ferb's ship, Tommy's grin was reminiscent of Vanessa's father's when he was pleased with the outcome of his latest –Inator. Lights were blinking, screens reading off numbers, dials and gauges filling up the space of all the walls. Vanessa felt like her dad would have had a field day playing with all the buttons; then she looked to her side and realized Tommy was about to have a similar reaction.</p><p>"Oh, yeah! This is great!" he exclaimed, drawn toward the nearest display set like a moth to a flame. In no time he was fiddling with switches and twiddling with levers, tinkering with dials and trundling with hand-cranks. After a chain of commands, he flipped one final switch with such fervor that Vanessa was starting to believe he actually knew what he was doing. A video monitor appeared from a fold in the ceiling and descended to eye level, and a map featuring many blue and red dots flickered on to the screen.</p><p>"The blue dots are the police," Tommy explained, "and the red dots are everyone else." Together, they watched what was left of the rebellion. A consolidated circle of red dots was stationed at the center of the park, while many more blue dots surrounded them. Only two red dots were safely outside the police perimeter line, and Vanessa quickly deduced that they must be Tommy and her.</p><p>"Let's try and see what's going on," Tommy said as he found a keyboard and started typing. The screen changed from the map to a video stream. Apparently he'd found a camera near the action. The picture took a moment to crystalize and they watched the cops complete their job.</p><p>The condensed circle of red dots turned out to be a group of rough-looking teenagers who all appeared to be members of the <em>Jaguars</em>, the gang who had started the riot earlier that day. Everyone was handcuffed.</p><p>"I swear I will avenge you, my friends," their leader whispered from Vanessa's side.</p><p>The chief of police gruffly gave his prisoners their orders like a drill sergeant. "As I told the other children we have apprehended today, you will be taken to your parents. Summer is officially over, and a city-wide curfew is now in effect until school begins."</p><p>Vanessa and Tommy watched them march to the elevators, the squadron of police escorting them off.</p><p>"Once the cops are gone," Tommy said, turning away from the screen to look about the cabin, "we'll make our escape. As soon as I figure out how the flying controls work, I'll be in control of who stays and who goes from this ship. From now on, no adults will ever make it back aboard. That's a promise. I'll turn off the elevators, just to make sure. Nobody will be able to come or go. Then we'll bring every kid in the city up here, and we'll fly away for good."</p><p>Vanessa continued to watch the screen where something strange was happening. Tommy had just missed it. While he was talking to himself, five more red dots had slid past the corners of the screen of the map and were approaching the two dots representing Tommy and her inside the control room, fast. It was like they knew they were there. But the dots were red, so the one thing that was certain was that they were not cops.</p><p>"What is that?" Vanessa said, interrupting her cohort's mumblings. Tommy looked at the screen and froze.</p><p>"I have no idea."</p><p>The five dots had stopped for a moment, not far outside the control room, then assembled a line and moved directly next to the remaining two. Tommy and Vanessa turned to the door of the elevator outside and waited for the new arrivals to slide into view.</p><p>A ding announced the elevator's return. When she saw who it was, Vanessa mentally slapped herself upside the head. Of course it was them.</p><p>Phineas, Ferb, and their sister Candace stepped out of the elevator, along with two of their friends—Vanessa was pretty sure their names were Baljeet and Buford. The group stopped in surprise when they saw they weren't alone.</p><p>"Vanessa?"</p><p>"Phineas."</p><p>"Vanessa?"</p><p>"Candace."</p><p>A stolid stare.</p><p>"Ferb. And—others." She didn't know the other two young boys as well. Except, maybe Buford, but that didn't mean she wanted to admit it.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" Phineas asked. "And, who's this?"</p><p>"This is—"</p><p>"Ah, Phineas and Ferb," Tommy interrupted. Vanessa noticed he was wringing his hands. "The builders of this ship, in the flesh."</p><p>"Um," Phineas tried, "do we know you?"</p><p>"Doesn't matter." Tommy stepped forward to put his arms around the boys. "I gotta hand it to you two, you've done excellent work with this ship. It's a fine work of art, a true masterpiece, and nothing less." He stepped back away from the two of them, and made a sweeping gesture with his arms. "I've never seen so much potential in all my life. But," he held up a finger, "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take it from you." That finger plummeted onto a nearby button. A cage dropped from the ceiling and surrounded the gang where they stood.</p><p>"Hey, what gives?" Candace cried.</p><p>Phineas placed his hands on the cage bars and nonchalantly looked sideways at his step-brother. "Do you remember ever setting a cage trap in here?" Ferb just returned a shrug. Phineas swiveled his head back to its straight-forward position. "Hm."</p><p>Tommy had a hand on his chin, like he was deep in thought, and was talking to himself. "Let's see, what does Dad always do at this part? Oh, right! Monolog!" He faced his trapped audience. "I guess I should start at the beginning, with my backstory! You see, evil scientists are not particularly well known for their exemplary parenting skills. When my father decided he wanted to take over the Tri-State Area on his way to world domination, he neglected the needs of his only son. Soon enough, that son had run away and found a new family. The gang I met on the streets took me in as one of their own, taught me how to survive when life gives you nothing. Always we had to run from adults who wanted to take us away, get us off the streets. I learned to hate grown-ups, to never trust them. When my father found me and brought me back home, I rebelled against everything I could. Causing fights, skipping school, I was almost sent to a detention center for troubled teens. That was when I ran away again, for good.</p><p>"But that's all ancient history. When I see this ship, I see a new beginning. A new chance for freedom. Freedom from the rules. Freedom from parents and grown-ups. Freedom from school and society. A place where kids can do whatever they want, whenever they want! Can you imagine it? A place where summer lasts forever!"</p><p>"A place where summer lasts forever…" Phineas replied, his mouth practically salivating at the thought.</p><p>"That's right," Tommy said. "All I need is for you to show me how to fly this ship. Together we can make it happen."</p><p>"A place where summer lasts forever…" Buford had joined Phineas in the chant and gone googley-eyed as well.</p><p>"Do not do it!" Baljeet interjected. "School is most important!"</p><p>"Would someone who built a gigantic theme park on their own need something as restrictive as school?" stated Tommy rhetorically. "School would only hold you back! Einstein didn't finish school, neither did Bill Gates!"</p><p>"Everybody needs school!" insisted Baljeet. "And, actually, Einstein did finish school, although that is a common misconception."</p><p>"Don't listen to that nerd, he's an oddball. Everyone who's normal secretly hates school. This, this is what they want. You'd be making every kid happy."</p><p>"At the cost of their futures!" Baljeet rattled. "School provides structure and order. Think of how messy their lives will turn out without that!"</p><p>Candace added her two-bits. "Phineas, remember what Monty said? School is the way you learn and grow, you said yourself without school you'd never have been able to do all the things you've done this summer!"</p><p>Phineas seemed to carefully consider the two differing sides, but didn't take long to finally made up his mind. "I won't help you," he told Tommy. "Monty and Baljeet are right. School is too important. Summer vacation is good and necessary so we all get a little downtime to unwind, but if you try to hold a party that goes on forever, it's eventually going to get stale."</p><p>"Pft," Tommy spat, "Monty Monogram; that little goodie two-shoes, that little straight arrow. Fine. If you won't help me, then I'll just have to do it myself." Tommy turned to face the controls and began hitting every button and switch in sight.</p><p>"Stop right there."</p><p>Everyone turned to look at the only other person in the room who wasn't trapped. Vanessa, who had been quietly watching this whole exchange, now took a defensive stance. "Tommy, I can't believe I'm saying this, considering my Dad, but your plan is crazy. Look." She pointed at the screen, which was now empty of all blue dots—the only red dots were the seven in that very room, the last seven people aboard the <em>Make Summer Last Forever</em>. "Everyone you called your 'friends,' you turned your back on and let them get taken away by the cops. The party was a disaster. Sure it was fun while it lasted, but did you see the mess it was making? With all the riots and all the looting and breaking things, it was a virtual anarchy! If there're no rules, who's going to clean up after yourselves? How long would it have lasted before the party got out of hand and tore this whole place apart?"</p><p>"Vanessa—" Tommy looked shocked. "I-I thought you were with me?"</p><p>"Sorry, guess I lied. You're not the only one with an evil scientist for a dad."</p><p>"I thought, because we had the same upbringing, you of all people would understand."</p><p>Vanessa sighed. "You know, you can't keep blaming everything on your dad. Just because our fathers are evil doesn't mean we have to be. We can choose for ourselves. So, make the choice. Drop it. Accept that summer can't last forever. Even if we tried, the world will still keep spinning around the sun. Fall will come, then winter, then spring and summer again. And no floating ship is going to change that."</p><p>Tommy looked speechless. He looked at Vanessa, then the others, who nodded in agreement. He fumed. "Well, then I'll just be sure to cross over to the southern hemisphere every six months!" He jumped at Vanessa and made to throw her in the cage with the others, but found himself flying through the air and phasing through her body to crash headlong into the wall behind her. One could almost see little cartoonish birds fluttering in circles over his dazed eyes.</p><p>Phineas and the gang looked on in shock until she extracted the molecular scrambler from behind her back and pulled its sides out to switch it off, and they all emitted 'Ohs' of understanding. "Here, you guys," she said, touching the sphere to the bars and rendering the cage semi-solid.</p><p>"Thanks, Vanessa!" Phineas said for them all. Candace immediately moved toward the window.</p><p>"It's almost sunset!" she exclaimed. "Hurry up and grab the parts you need, and let's land this thing before it runs out of power!</p><p>"Oh, right!" Phineas replied. "The reverse-dimensional transmission machine; I almost forgot! Ferb, let's scrap up some parts!"</p><p>As soon as they were free, Phineas and Ferb began bouncing around the control center, throwing all kinds of pieces of machinery and electronics into a box. "Be sure to grab the duct tape, Ferb, you never know when you'll need duct tape," Phineas suggested. Candace, Vanessa, Baljeet and Buford left this part to the young mechanics, and remained watching from the side.</p><p>"Um, so what do we do with him?" Vanessa asked, pointing at the corner where Tommy lay moaning. Nobody seemed to hear.</p><p>"I'll grab some breadboards from the coolant panel, and we'll need some washers and a ratchet to hold the hyperbolic disapplicator together. Definitely need the gyroscopic spectroscopy infuser…." Candace wasn't really listening to what Phineas said, it all sounded like gibberish anyway as he named all the parts and scraps they threw into the box. She was looking out the window, admiring the beautiful red sunset glinting on the western horizon. <em>If only there were one last chance to bust the boys this summer</em>, she thought, but knew that that opportunity was sinking before her eyes as literally as was the sun.</p><p>"We're running out of time, Phineas!" she reminded him. "Hurry up!"</p><p>Phineas stopped suddenly, and his face turned pale. A U-shaped piece of metal that had a couple short, exposed wires sticking out of it was clutched in his left hand. "Uh-oh, that can't be good."</p><p>"What is it?" Candace asked.</p><p>The red-head exchanged a nervous look with Ferb. "It appears that he," Phineas pointed at Tommy.</p><p>"Tommy," Vanessa offered.</p><p>"Tommy," Phineas continued, "disconnected the orienteering vector components of the mainframe and unplugged the articulating silicone socket—"</p><p>"English, please?" mouthed Candace.</p><p>Phineas looked helplessly at the others. "He accidentally pulled out one of the parts we needed to steer the ship. We can't fly it anymore! It's going to crash!"</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What's the matter, Perry the Platypus?" Doofenshmirtz sneered. "Afraid you'll hurt the boy if you fight back?"</p><p>Agent P dodged another attack from Monty, handspringing back to the wall to put some space between them. Monty charged again, and Agent P dove to the side to avoid being tackled to the floor. "You can't keep running forever!" Doofenshmirtz said.</p><p>Monty prepared for another assault. Thinking quickly, Agent P grabbed a wooden chair from nearby and placed it between them, shielding himself from the teenager. Monty made to grab it from his hands, and Agent P sprang onto the chair, leaped into the air high overhead, and somersaulted over Monty. Agent P then rushed for the –Inator sitting on Doofenshmirtz's desk.</p><p>"No, you can't have that!" Doofenshmirtz cried, diving to grab it at the same moment Agent P did. Simultaneously they each grabbed a portion of it and began a tug-of-war. Agent P reached with one hand to try to poke Doofenshmirtz in the eye, catching him by surprise and causing him to block with one of his own hands. Agent P used the moment to obtain better leverage on the –Inator with his extra hand, giving him a slight advantage. Doofenshmirtz cursed and retightened his grip. With a snap, the –Inator broke in half, and the combatants were carried backwards by their own momentum.</p><p>"No!" Doofenshmirtz screamed hysterically. "What have you done? What have you done?"</p><p>Monty had a dazed look on his face, like he didn't know where he was.</p><p>"Attack Perry the Platypus!" Doofenshmirtz ordered. "Attack him now, you useless youth!"</p><p>Monty stood there bewildered, completely oblivious to Doofenshmirtz's commands.</p><p>"You broke the spell of my -Inator!" Doofenshmirtz screamed at Agent P. "Now I'm going to lose all my mind slaves!"</p><p>Agent P sprang up and connected a backflip-kick to Doofenshmirtz, knocking him across the room. The evil scientist dealt with for the moment, he turned to Monty to make sure he was recovering from being under Doofenshmirtz's control. Monty appeared to be alright, just disoriented. "What's going on?" he asked. "What's with the pharmacist laying in the corner? Wait, your hat!? Are we on a mission? Is that an evil scientist?" Agent P nodded, helping Monty to sit down.</p><p>"Agent P, I'm so confused. How'd I get here? Is this a dream or something? Wait, it's starting to come back to me. Yeah, that's Dr. Doofenshmirtz over there! Oh no! Is Vanessa here? Did she see me?" Monty asked, looking around. Agent P shook his head. "Okay, good, I don't want her to see me fighting her dad. Kind of a touchy subject for her." Agent P motioned for him to stay and rest. Turning, he saw Doofenshmirtz stand, rubbing his jaw.</p><p>"You think you've beaten me, but you haven't!" Doofenshmirtz told them. "Even in failure, I still win! You may have delayed my enslavement of the Tri-State Area, but at least I have successfully overthrown Roger! Even you can't undo that, Perry the Platypus! Now, it is time for my cliché villain escape." Doofenshmirtz reached under his desk to pull out a jet pack and strapped it onto his back. "Curse you Perry the Platypus!" he shouted as his jet pack blasted off. There was a crash as he flew through the roof of the building, and an audible, "Ouch! That ceiling felt like solid marble!" immediately followed.</p><p>"That's it? You're just going to let him get away?" Monty asked Agent P. The secret agent put a hand on the young man's shoulder, as if to communicate, <em>it's okay. When he comes back, we'll be ready.</em></p><hr/><p>"What do you mean it's going to crash?" Candace shrieked. "I thought you said this thing was safe!?"</p><p>"It <em>was</em>!" panicked Phineas. "Nobody has ever been able to hack through one of Ferb's firewalls before!" (Vanessa hid the molecular scrambler behind her back and whistled a tune of innocence.)</p><p>"Well, can't you fix it, or something?"</p><p>"It's not that easy! The computer would need time to reboot if we put the pieces back, and by then the ship would run out of power. There's nothing we can do!"</p><p>"There's gotta be something! Think, Phineas!"</p><p>Phineas obediently brought his hand to his chin. It took exactly five seconds. "I know what we're going to do today!" he finally exclaimed. "Ferb, do we have all the parts we need for the reverse-dimensional transmission machine?"</p><p>Ferb glanced inside the box briefly before giving the thumbs up.</p><p>"Good. Candace, you go start the car."</p><p>"I'm on it!" Candace saluted, noticeably in a hurry to get off the ship, and dashed out of the room.</p><p>"Phineas and Ferb are fixing the problem," Candace told herself, as she turned the key in the ignition and felt the engine rumble at her touch. "They'll never suspect it when I bust them to Mom."</p><p>She once again called the most used of her speed dial numbers. "Hello, Candace," Linda said from the other end.</p><p>"Mom! If you just listen to me now, I'll never have to call you about the boys again!" Candace assured.</p><p>"Hmm, somehow I find that hard to believe, but go ahead."</p><p>Candace told her about Phineas and Ferb's <em>Make Summer Last Forever</em>, about how they were landing it at a stretch of plains outside of the city, and to please watch for a giant metal ship on her way into town. Then everything she'd ever been told by Candace would be confirmed.</p><p>"Okay, Candace, I don't know what kind of crazy your father has been feeding you, but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for a—what was it? Giant floating ship-slash-park?"</p><p>"Mom, it'll be bigger than anything you've ever seen. You won't miss it."</p><p>"Alright. Now go tell the boys to get ready for school in the morning, I should be home in an hour or two." Linda hung up the line.</p><p>"Yes!" cheered the teenager. "I'm going to bust them after all! The right way, this time," Candace insisted to herself. And yet, she couldn't quite shake her doubt that, somehow, it still wouldn't be enough.</p><hr/><p>As soon as she was gone, Phineas continued. "Buford, you help Vanessa carry Tommy to the Neddlington Nymph. Baljeet, you bring the box with you. Ferb and I will take care of everything up here."</p><p>"There is not room in the car for all of us," noted Baljeet.</p><p>"Ferb and I can find another way off," Phineas stated. "But you four and Candace will fit. Now, we just need somewhere in the city to meet back up."</p><p>Vanessa spoke. "We can meet at my Dad's place. It's the purple skyscraper in downtown with its own jingle, you can't miss it."</p><p>"Okay," Phineas nodded. "We'll catch up with you guys there."</p><p>"How do you plan to keep the park from crashing into the city?"</p><p>Phineas explained. "The only way to keep the city safe is to keep the <em>Make Summer Last Forever</em> flying indefinitely."</p><p>"But how are you going to do that when its charge depletes?" Baljeet asked.</p><p>"Simple. Put it in orbit. The hover engine has stabilizers that help the ship maintain a steady elevation. If we deactivate them, there'll be nothing to keep the engine in check, and the hover tech will cause the whole park to rise higher and higher. It'll be like letting go of a balloon. The only risk is that it will deplete the charge faster, so if there isn't enough power left to make it to at least orbital velocity before then, it will eventually fall back down to earth and crash. And at that point, nothing would be able to stop it."</p><p>"What is the current voltage output of your engines? I know just the equation to find out if it will make it or not," Baljeet offered.</p><p>"No time! If it works, it works; we just have to go for it!" Phineas replied. Buford and Vanessa obediently swung Tommy's arms over their shoulders and dragged him out; Baljeet heaved the box of equipment and followed after.</p><p>Phineas turned to face the main controls. "C'mon, Ferb, help me deactivate the hover stabilizers!"</p><hr/><p>The Neddlington Nymph sat idling as Vanessa seat belted a still unconscious Tommy in.</p><p>"Done! He's in," she announced. "Cool car," she added.</p><p>"Thanks. C'mon, Phineas, hurry up!" Candace honked the horn.</p><p>"He said to leave without them," offered Baljeet, who set the box on his lap.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"No time to explain, just go!"</p><p>Candace activated the rocket mode and they sped off, flying safely away from the ship and heading for their home.</p><p>"This thing has a rocket mode?" Vanessa asked, impressed. "I wish my Dad did stuff like this for me."</p><p>As soon as they cleared the park, everyone but Candace (who was busy driving) turned to watch the majestically floating ship one last time. Ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly at first, it began to rise, but then it began to increase in speed. By the time they landed in the street in front of Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc., it was high in the atmosphere, and due to the spin of the earth, from the perspective of everyone on the ground it was curling slowly to the west.</p><hr/><p>"Aha, this ship is the perfect hiding place," Doofenshmirtz told himself, unstrapping his jet pack. He looked around the empty park he'd landed on. The remains of a festive banner was draped over what was once a great party. Now it sagged in the space above and behind his slouching shoulders, and if a tear through the middle were held back in place, it would have read, 'Welcome to Phineas and Ferb's <em>Make Summer Last Forever!'</em></p><p>"Yes, Perry the Platypus will never find me up here. I can hang out for a while, play it 'cool', as they say; maybe use some spare parts to build an -Inator or two, life is good!"</p><p>Just then, Doofenshmirtz felt an upward lurching beneath his feet. "Wait, what was that? Is this thing moving?"</p><p>In a similar sensation to riding an elevator, he felt the ship beneath him rise faster and faster into the air. "What? Where is it going?" The motion began to accelerate and he was having more and more trouble staying on his feet. Finally the G-forces became too great for his strength, and he collapsed on his back, screaming as he ascended further into the atmosphere.</p><p>"Help! I'm going to need an oxygen mask soon!"</p><hr/><p>The orange orb-tip of sunlight peeked over the horizon for one final, lingering moment before slipping into gentle shadow. Candace, Vanessa, Baljeet and Buford turned away from the beautiful sight when the blast of two rockets to their rear met their ears. Phineas and Ferb settled the souped-up kiddie-rides they had refurbished earlier that summer on the sidewalk and dismounted to join the others.</p><p>"It worked," Phineas declared, a wide smile plastered on his face. "Danville is safe." It receded, however, when he looked up to the sky to watch the <em>Make Summer Last Forever</em> shrink into the colorful sunset. "Good-bye, summer," he said in a low, meek voice. Ferb put a hand on his shoulder, and a vestige of that smile returned. "I'll be okay," he announced.</p><p>Buford, on the other hand, dramatically fell to his knees. "<em>¿Por qu</em><em>é</em><em>?</em>" he shouted to the skies, hands raised high over his head in despair.</p><p>"Buford," Baljeet reminded, "you do realize that going back to school means you can bully more people, right?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah, huh." He stood and cheered. "Yeah! Summer's finally over! Bufey's back, baby!" With that, Buford gave his nerd a Wet-Willy.</p><p>"I had to open my big mouth," Baljeet slouched.</p><p>There was a grunt from beside the Neddlington Nymph. Tommy was waking.</p><p>Vanessa walked to the curb to stand over him. "I'll take care of him," she told the group. "You guys go bring all the schools back."</p><p>"Okay," Phineas said, leading the others back to the car. "Good luck!" he told Vanessa over his shoulder.</p><p>"See ya at school," Candace waved before climbing into the driver's seat.</p><p>"See ya," responded Vanessa.</p><p>Even Ferb waved back at the goth as the car pulled away. She watched them all the way until they disappeared. By then, Tommy was coming to himself, and she pulled out her phone.</p><p>"What have you done?" he asked once he realized he was back on solid ground. "What have you done to <em>my precious?</em>"</p><p>"Oh, shut up," Vanessa sighed, without even looking at him. "I'm calling Monty right now; I bet the OWCA would love to have a word with you."</p><p>Tommy let his head fall back with a grunt.</p><hr/><p>Through raw determination and teamwork, the Fireside Girls had located the Mayor, Roger Doofenshmirtz, in a small sushi restaurant on the suburbs of town. It had been Gretchen's idea to find him; if anybody could convince Isabella's mother of anything, it was the city Mayor. He promised to grant them any request if they could help him recover his seat. Which had turned out to be easy—none of them knew about the covert operations of the O.W.C.A. They arrived at City Hall to find all its occupants disoriented and confused. Mayor Doofenshmirtz's charm instantly renewed them all, and he was quickly reinstated as Mayor. So Roger Doofenshmirtz agreed to to follow Gretchen's plan to help Isabella see Phineas again.</p><p>The Mayor arrived to personally invite Isabella and Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro to Danville High to watch the school be brought back to existence. They, along with the Fireside Girls and a small group of press, plus Candace, Baljeet, and Buford, sat on the grass to see if Phineas and Ferb's device would work.</p><p>There was no stage, just a few chairs set out for dignitaries and standing space for the audience. The boys' device was located convenient to a speaker's podium, and Mayor Doofenshmirtz sat down to allow Phineas to speak in the decaying light.</p><p>"Ladies and gentlemen," Phineas addressed the small crowd, "I'm pleased to announce that school is no longer canceled!" With that, Ferb turned on their invention, and they all held their breath as ripples of energy surged through the air. Nothing happened at first, but then, all at once, the school plopped back into their dimension. There was silence for the shortest moment, then cheering as everyone applauded. Mayor Doofenshmirtz, grinning from ear to ear, rose to speak.</p><p>"Today," he said, "we faced a crisis unlike any other. I am proud that these bright young children have stepped up to provide assistance in our time of need. Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, may I present you with this award for the special services you have rendered to our city. Thank you." He gave ribbons to the step-brothers and shook their hands while the audience clapped vigorously.</p><p>"Isabella," Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro spoke to her daughter as they watched from among the audience, "I take back what I said earlier. Phineas and Ferb are very good boys, and it pleases me that they are your friends."</p><p>"Thanks, Mom," Isabella said, and she hugged her mother as together they watched Phineas and Ferb accept their awards.</p><p>Someone was watching the two out of the corner of her eye. "The plan was a success," Gretchen smiled to herself and the other Fireside Girls. The troop, elated to see their leader happy again, silently congratulated each other with high-fives and fist pumps as Gretchen whispered, "Good luck, Isabella."</p><hr/><p>Night had fallen, and Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro had invited all the children to have dinner with her and Isabella. She made her specialty, enchiladas, and they were happy to eat as many as she could cook after such an eventful day. Even though they were all full and tired, they sat around the table talking for a while after dinner; talking about their fun on the ship all morning, about the riot and getting pulled off by the police, about how they prevented the ship from crashing into the city, and in general filling in the gaps for those who weren't there for parts of it.</p><p>"It was one of the greatest adventures we had this summer," Phineas was saying. "Definitely ended the summer on a good note."</p><p>"So what will happen to the ship now?" Buford asked.</p><p>"Phineas sent it to land by the highway, just like he said he would." Candace replied.</p><p>"Actually, I did something a little different, Candace," Phineas corrected. "You ran out before I could explain my plan. I deactivated the hover gear's elevation stablizers, causing the ship to rise and rise until it reached orbit. Ferb and I were able to confirm that <em>Make Summer Last Forever</em> achieved a stable orbit before the power went out right before the ceremony."</p><p>"What?" Candace blurted out. "But, that means Mom isn't going to see it on her way home!"</p><p>"Yeah, it is too bad, we really wanted to keep the ship and all our memories from this summer; but it was the only way to save the city, so it was a sacrifice we had to make."</p><p>Candace banged her head down on the table dejectedly. "So much for busting my brothers," she groaned.</p><p>"So the ship is just going to orbit the earth forever?" Isabella asked.</p><p>"Either that," Ferb interjected, "or the solar panels will recharge in the sunlight, and it will keep rising until it is billions of miles away; at which point, there won't be enough sunlight to power them further, and it will stabilize in orbit around the sun. It will then become the largest man-made solar satellite in existence."</p><p>"Unless it gets sucked into Jupiter," Baljeet added.</p><p>Candace groaned again.</p><hr/><p>"You did excellent work today, Agent P," Major Monogram told his top field agent. "You defeated Doofenshmirtz and stopped his attempted coup, you protected my son Monty on one of his first assignments, and your host family ended up bringing peace back to the city. It was a fine job, indeed."</p><p>Agent P saluted the Major in thanks.</p><p>"Our sources say Doofenshmirtz was on board the sky-ship when it left the earth's atmosphere," Monogram continued. "We believe he is building a one-man space ship to return to earth, but our estimates put him at around an twenty hour or so ETA. In other words, he won't be back until tomorrow night, so I guess that means you finally get that vacation time you've been requesting all summer. Your next briefing will be first thing the morning after next, and it'll be back to business as usual. Remember, tomorrow is only freshman orientation for Danville High, so Doofenshmirtz will be back in time to begin his post as science teacher there, but of course we—and by we, I mean Carl—will continue to monitor his activities throughout. Enjoy your day off, Agent P. Monogram out."</p><hr/><p>It was starting to get late, and after being reminded about school in the morning by Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro, the group decided to call it a night. Everyone thanked Isabella's mother for the dinner and headed out the door to go home. Phineas, Ferb, and Candace were the last to say good-bye before heading across the street to their house.</p><p>"Man, I could not get enough of those enchiladas. Mom and Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro need to trade recipes sometime," Phineas commented.</p><p>"Yes. Yes they should," said Ferb.</p><p>At that moment, Candace's phone rang. "Hello?" she answered unenthusiastically. "Oh, hi Mom, yeah, I know, you didn't see any giant floating ship-park. Uh-huh, yeah, enchiladas and stuff, Isabella's mom made it for us. You're gonna be here in fifteen minutes. Okay, we're getting ready for bed right now."</p><p>"Was that Mom?" Phineas asked after Candace had hung up.</p><p>"Yeah. She said to be ready for bed before she gets home, so we get plenty of rest for school tomorrow." Candace opened the front door and they walked inside.</p><p>"Wow, school is tomorrow. I can't believe it. Hey Ferb, I already know what we're gonna do tomorrow—we're going back to school!" Phineas said it like it was the most thrilling moment of his life. "Are you guys excited or what?"</p><p>"I guess so," Candace said. "Summer is great, and everything, but it kind of felt like it was going to last forever. I think I'm ready for a change of pace." Candace thought back to earlier that day when she had taken advantage of having too much freedom. It was a little embarrassing to think about some of the crazy stuff she had done. If that had gone on much longer, who knows to what level of idiocy her actions might have sunk. "Yeah, this summer has had enough drama. It will be nice to go back to school and return to normalicy." Then, realizing the irony of what she was hinting, she sarcastically added, "Yep, 'cause nothing averts drama like high school."</p><hr/><p>"Isa," Vivian Garcia-Shapiro said from the hallway, causing the young girl to jump. "What are you doing?"</p><p>Isabella turned away from the window she had been looking out. "Mom, it's 'what'cha doin'.' You're saying it wrong."</p><p>Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro shrugged it off. "Were you watching them walk home?" she asked.</p><p>"Um," Isabella stalled, not wanting to admit she was watching Phineas.</p><p>"I thought so. I was watching your eyes, you never stopped looking at Phineas all through dinner."</p><p>Isabella blushed. "Well, he was talking most of the time, I was just paying attention."</p><p>"About as much attention as a puppy gives his owner when eating a corndog," her mother teased, seeing right through her cover story.</p><p>"Mom!"</p><p>"It's okay, daughter. I was once a beautiful young woman as well. He is a good boy, I am happy for you to be his friend." Her mother had a knowing smile playing across her face.</p><hr/><p>While he was getting ready for bed, Phineas thought back to the beginning of summer, when he and Ferb had sat under the tree out back, dreaming and scheming of what was to come after a ride on the coolest coaster ever. He could still smell the cool green grass they had comfortably lounged on. This moment, the night before school, had seemed so far away back then; and yet, here it was. Time had gone by so fast, it was incredible. With any luck, it would continue to fly forward 'on wings of silver laughter,' bringing him to his next summer adventure. Of course, there was also Christmas Vacation to look forward to as well.</p><p>
  <em>Summer! Every single moment is worth its weight in gold.</em>
</p><p>The lyrics came familiar to Phineas as he reminisced. They brought a nostalgic smile to his face.</p><p>
  <em>Summer, it's like the world's best story and it's waiting to be told!</em>
</p><p>Like any good story, he wished it didn't have to come to an end. But then again, the end of one good story is only the beginning of another. What will be in the next story? he wondered. There's a world of possibilities.</p><hr/><p>Epilogue</p><p>The bell rang, signaling the start of class. The kind faced woman seated at the front stood and addressed the students.</p><p>"Welcome, class. I will be your new teacher, and I am very excited to get to know you all." Phineas was seated next to Ferb as the room of children quietly listened to the teacher introduce herself. She took only a minute, and after she had finished, she asked the class, "Since today is the first day of school, I want to have an activity for us to get to know each other. If you would please come to the front one at a time, I'd like you to tell us your name and something fun you did this summer. Now, would anybody like to go first?"</p><p>Phineas caught Ferb's eye briefly as both their hands shot up.</p><p>"Only one at a time, boys," the teacher said.</p><p>Phineas looked at her and replied, "Ma'am, with all due respect, we are brothers, and we'd like to go together."</p><p>"Oh, very well. In that case, you can both come up." She beckoned them forward with her hand.</p><p>Phineas and Ferb walked to the front and turned to face their classmates. "Well," Phineas began, "it all started when we built a rollercoaster in our backyard…."</p><p>The End</p>
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